Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ialoveni

For one person, living is cheaper in Ialoveni: $806 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Ialoveni
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Ialoveni Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Ialoveni

🇲🇩 Moldova

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ialoveni

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $806 in Ialoveni.

Nosara $1,839
Ialoveni $806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,296 in Ialoveni.

Nosara $2,828
Ialoveni $1,296

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,786 in Ialoveni.

Nosara $3,818
Ialoveni $1,786

Living in Nosara is roughly 128% more expensive than in Ialoveni, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Ialoveni is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$8.21 MDL 146

50.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$28.89 MDL 513

111.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.54 MDL 187

-28.65%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.19 MDL 38.89

101.37%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.23 MDL 21.76

41.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.80 MDL 14.24

63.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.18 MDL 38.76

50.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.28 MDL 40.54

96.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.29 MDL 22.88

20.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.65 MDL 11.50

364.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.65 MDL 11.48

286.15%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.72 MDL 48.37

31.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.74 MDL 120

10.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.04 MDL 89.6

108.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$4.93 MDL 87.6

183.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.97 MDL 17.26

142.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.90 MDL 33.68

-15.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.12 MDL 37.62

126.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.30 MDL 40.84

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.72 MDL 12.80

427.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.52 MDL 9.31

609.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.34 MDL 23.82

-15.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.87 MDL 15.48

205.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.39 MDL 60.3

52.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.68 MDL 83.0

324.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.21 MDL 21.43

139.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.96 MDL 34.75

85.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.33 MDL 5.85

239.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$6.91 MDL 123

951.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.21 MDL 39.19

-3.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.26 MDL 4.62

503.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.95 MDL 88.0

72.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.63 MDL 28.89

-6.75%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.5K MDL 524.2K

-26.79%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.5K MDL 435.2K

40.87%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$190 MDL 3,378

-49.38%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.47 MDL 168

278.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$11.08 MDL 197

383.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$27.86 MDL 495

156.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$10.96 MDL 195

218.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.42 MDL 132

6.33%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$111 MDL 1,966

346.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,128 MDL 91.1K

131.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$44.77 MDL 795

20.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$27.67 MDL 491

100.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$84.7 MDL 1,505

-8.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$95.0 MDL 1,686

-16.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$168 MDL 2,975

370.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$112 MDL 1,996

606.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$356 MDL 6,325

1006.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$368 MDL 6,529

286.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$591 MDL 10.5K

46.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.75%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ialoveni: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Ialoveni

$112 14% 85.8% $682

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Ialoveni

$168 20.8% 52.4% $185

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Ialoveni

$147 18.3% 30.5% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Ialoveni

$211 26.1% 13.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Ialoveni

$113 14.1% 5.5% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ialoveni

$43 5.3% 51.1% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Ialoveni

$12 1.5% 86.5% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $168 in Ialoveni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 46% 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 $29.00 in Ialoveni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $168 per month, with Ialoveni cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇩 Ialoveni

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

09:45 9:45 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

15,300

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Ialoveni 10,980 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ialoveni

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 Ialoveni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ialoveni wins on cost – living expenses run 128% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ialoveni the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $168 in Ialoveni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ialoveni runs roughly 951% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $111 in Ialoveni. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $806 in Ialoveni versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ialoveni but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Ialoveni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ialoveni delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ialoveni hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Ialoveni 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 Ialoveni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.