Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Grimstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,129 in Grimstad, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. The total is higher in Grimstad despite lower rent and utilities.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Grimstad
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Grimstad Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Grimstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,129

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Grimstad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Grimstad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,129 in Grimstad.

Nosara $1,839
Grimstad $2,129

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,634 in Grimstad.

Nosara $2,828
Grimstad $3,634

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $5,140 in Grimstad.

Nosara $3,818
Grimstad $5,140

Living in Nosara costs roughly 14% less than in Grimstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Grimstad 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$21.22 NOK 200

-41.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$77.1 NOK 726

-20.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$15.35 NOK 145

-51.01%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.81 NOK 45.27

-8.32%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₡780

$4.08 NOK 38.42

-57.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$3.37 NOK 31.72

-61.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$11.48 NOK 108

-71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$10.48 NOK 98.7

-57.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.54 NOK 23.91

-38.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.63 NOK 34.17

-16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.11 NOK 29.32

-19.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.54 NOK 33.34

0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.95 NOK 122

-42.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$14.02 NOK 132

-24.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$24.27 NOK 228

-42.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.03 NOK 19.15

15.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.36 NOK 22.26

-31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.44 NOK 32.37

39.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.28 NOK 40.26

-62.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.77 NOK 26.06

37.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.81 NOK 26.49

31.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.08 NOK 28.97

-63.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.87 NOK 17.63

42.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$18.68 NOK 176

-72.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.63 NOK 147

27.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.42 NOK 32.24

-15.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.17 NOK 39.21

-12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$5.31 NOK 49.98

-78.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$90.9 NOK 855

-20.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$11.86 NOK 112

-81.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.85 NOK 17.40

-15.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$69.8 NOK 657

-87.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.33 NOK 21.89

-34.76%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$48.5K NOK 456.8K

-55.47%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$43.9K NOK 413.5K

-21.43%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$301 NOK 2,837

-68.05%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$33.76 NOK 318

6.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$54.1 NOK 509

-0.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$41.35 NOK 389

73.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$15.75 NOK 148

-49.90%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$494 ₡221.6K

$233 NOK 2,191

112.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$15.7K NOK 147.6K

-24.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$95.6 NOK 900

-43.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$52.3 NOK 492

6.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$106 NOK 996

-26.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$157 NOK 1,478

-49.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$876 NOK 8,245

-10.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$532 NOK 5,006

49.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,926 NOK 18.1K

104.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,749 NOK 16.5K

-18.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,591 NOK 43.2K

50.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,358 NOK 31.6K

-63.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$4,349 NOK 40.9K

-80.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.9

75.92%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Grimstad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Grimstad

$532 25% 33.1% $263

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Grimstad

$435 20.4% 23.5% $83

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Grimstad

$382 17.9% 80.2% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Grimstad

$389 18.3% 110% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Grimstad

$185 8.7% 53.9% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Grimstad

$73 3.4% 16.6% $15

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Grimstad

$133 6.3% 52.9% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $876 in Grimstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grimstad pays 404% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $77.0 in Grimstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $435 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇳🇴 Grimstad

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

16:38 4:38 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

25,093

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Grimstad 9,310 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Grimstad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nosara vs Grimstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 404% lower in Grimstad. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $876 in Grimstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $2,129 in Grimstad – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 25% less than in Grimstad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,129 in Grimstad, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Grimstad. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Grimstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Grimstad are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Grimstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.