Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Hafnarfjordur

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
186

Cost of Living Index in Hafnarfjordur
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Hafnarfjordur Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Hafnarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Hafnarfjordur

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Hafnarfjordur $3,877

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $5,400 in Hafnarfjordur, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Hafnarfjordur $5,400

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $6,923 in Hafnarfjordur, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Hafnarfjordur $6,923

Nosara is about 53% cheaper than Hafnarfjordur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Hafnarfjordur sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Hafnarfjordur by 187%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$31.03 ISK 3,763

-60.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$124 ISK 15.0K

-50.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$16.27 ISK 1,973

-53.78%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$6.88 ISK 835

-35.90%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.27 ISK 396

-46.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$3.07 ISK 372

-57.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$14.18 ISK 1,720

-76.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$12.22 ISK 1,482

-63.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.70 ISK 207

-8.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$4.18 ISK 507

-27.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.61 ISK 438

-30.47%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.19 ISK 872

-50.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$21.88 ISK 2,654

-66.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$24.76 ISK 3,003

-57.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$42.29 ISK 5,130

-66.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.41 ISK 413

-31.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.50 ISK 303

-35.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.18 ISK 386

50.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$6.33 ISK 767

-74.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.87 ISK 469

-1.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.69 ISK 205

118.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.69 ISK 447

-69.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.81 ISK 220

46.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$13.80 ISK 1,674

-62.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$23.94 ISK 2,904

-16.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.54 ISK 430

-18.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.43 ISK 416

5.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$5.21 ISK 632

-78.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$85.4 ISK 10.4K

-14.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$6.58 ISK 798

-67.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.80 ISK 339

-43.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$80.9 ISK 9,810

-89.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.04 ISK 248

-25.49%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$51.3K ISK 6.2M

-57.89%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

-35.25%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$70.7 ISK 8,571

36.25%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$33.02 ISK 4,005

8.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$87.0 ISK 10.6K

-38.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$64.9 ISK 7,870

10.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$17.05 ISK 2,068

-53.72%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,196 ISK 145.1K

-58.68%

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

$124 ISK 15.0K

-56.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$65.8 ISK 7,980

-15.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$125 ISK 15.2K

-37.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$252 ISK 30.6K

-68.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$2,498 ISK 302.9K

-68.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$2,087 ISK 253.1K

-61.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$3,226 ISK 391.3K

22.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,607 ISK 316.2K

-45.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$7,085 ISK 859.4K

-2.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$6,990 ISK 847.8K

-82.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$4,751 ISK 576.2K

-81.82%

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 Hafnarfjordur: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Hafnarfjordur

$2.1K 53.8% 163% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Hafnarfjordur

$619 16% 75.6% $266

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Hafnarfjordur

$500 12.9% 136% $288

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Hafnarfjordur

$191 4.9% 2.7% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Hafnarfjordur

$255 6.6% 112% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Hafnarfjordur

$99 2.6% 13.3% $12

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Hafnarfjordur

$127 3.3% 45.6% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $2,498 in Hafnarfjordur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 450% higher in Hafnarfjordur, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $124 in Hafnarfjordur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $619 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇸 Hafnarfjordur

🕒 Local time

23:27 11:27 PM

05:27 5:27 AM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

31,525

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Hafnarfjordur 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Hafnarfjordur

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 Hafnarfjordur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafnarfjordur costs about 111% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $5,816 in Hafnarfjordur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur. That's a gap of about 111%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Hafnarfjordur at $3,877. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hafnarfjordur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hafnarfjordur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.