Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Grundarfjordur

For one person, living is cheaper in Grundarfjordur: $1,722 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Grundarfjordur
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Grundarfjordur Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Grundarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Grundarfjordur

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 Grundarfjordur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,722 in Grundarfjordur.

Nosara $1,839
Grundarfjordur $1,722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,930 in Grundarfjordur.

Nosara $2,828
Grundarfjordur $2,930

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,138 in Grundarfjordur.

Nosara $3,818
Grundarfjordur $4,138

Living in Nosara is roughly 7% more expensive than in Grundarfjordur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Grundarfjordur 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$31.43 ISK 3,812

-60.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$123 ISK 14.9K

-50.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$27.34 ISK 3,316

-72.49%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$6.73 ISK 816

-34.47%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$3.35 ISK 406

-48.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$3.02 ISK 367

-56.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$13.78 ISK 1,671

-76.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$12.34 ISK 1,496

-63.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$2.11 ISK 255

-26.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$4.31 ISK 523

-29.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$3.60 ISK 437

-30.28%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$7.15 ISK 867

-50.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$21.52 ISK 2,610

-65.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$24.59 ISK 2,983

-57.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$41.30 ISK 5,010

-66.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$3.23 ISK 392

-27.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$2.88 ISK 349

-44.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$3.27 ISK 396

46.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$6.39 ISK 776

-74.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$3.96 ISK 480

-4.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$1.68 ISK 204

119.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.67 ISK 445

-69.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$1.83 ISK 222

45.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$13.67 ISK 1,658

-62.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$23.72 ISK 2,877

-16.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$3.53 ISK 428

-17.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$3.48 ISK 423

4.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$6.67 ISK 809

-67.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$2.90 ISK 352

-45.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$81.7 ISK 9,913

-89.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$2.02 ISK 245

-24.75%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$51.5K ISK 6.2M

-58.05%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$52.9K ISK 6.4M

-34.78%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$97.1 ISK 11.8K

-0.81%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$32.85 ISK 3,985

9.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$85.2 ISK 10.3K

-37.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$19.40 ISK 2,353

-59.33%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$1,191 ISK 144.4K

-58.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$25.8K ISK 3.1M

-54.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$147 ISK 17.8K

-63.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$66.1 ISK 8,022

-16.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$185 ISK 22.5K

-57.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$253 ISK 30.7K

-68.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

$1,121 ISK 135.9K

9.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.81

-2.16%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Grundarfjordur: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Grundarfjordur

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Grundarfjordur

$621 36.1% 76.3% $269

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Grundarfjordur

$533 31% 152% $321

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Grundarfjordur

$215 12.5% 15.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Grundarfjordur

$293 17% 144% $173

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Grundarfjordur

$39 * 2.3% 55.6% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Grundarfjordur

$21 * 1.2% 75.7% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $123 in Grundarfjordur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $621 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇸 Grundarfjordur

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

19:00 7:00 PM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

800

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Grundarfjordur 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Grundarfjordur

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 Grundarfjordur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grundarfjordur wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grundarfjordur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $2,584 in Grundarfjordur to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 76% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,722 in Grundarfjordur – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,722 in Grundarfjordur versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Grundarfjordur but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Grundarfjordur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grundarfjordur delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,722 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grundarfjordur hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Grundarfjordur 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 Grundarfjordur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.