Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Istočno Sarajevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo: $897 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Istočno Sarajevo
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Istočno Sarajevo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Istočno Sarajevo

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Istočno Sarajevo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $897 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Nosara $1,839
Istočno Sarajevo $897

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,364 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Nosara $2,828
Istočno Sarajevo $1,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $1,830 in Istočno Sarajevo.

Nosara $3,818
Istočno Sarajevo $1,830

Living in Nosara is roughly 105% more expensive than in Istočno Sarajevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Istočno Sarajevo is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$8.61 BAM 15.02

43.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$37.53 BAM 65.5

63.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$6.83 BAM 11.92

10.10%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$1.74 BAM 3.05

153.45%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$2.02 BAM 3.53

-13.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.47 BAM 2.57

-10.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$2.30 BAM 4.02

42.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$2.25 BAM 3.92

98.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.45 BAM 2.54

7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$1.30 BAM 2.27

132.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$2.14 BAM 3.73

17.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$3.16 BAM 5.51

12.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$10.31 BAM 18.00

-27.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$7.76 BAM 13.54

35.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$14.34 BAM 25.03

-2.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$1.48 BAM 2.58

58.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.59 BAM 2.78

1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$1.56 BAM 2.72

207.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$1.72 BAM 3.00

-6.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$0.99 BAM 1.74

283.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$1.10 BAM 1.93

235.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.08 BAM 1.88

4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.91 BAM 1.58

192.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$3.86 BAM 6.74

34.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$7.86 BAM 13.72

152.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$0.89 BAM 1.56

225.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$1.54 BAM 2.69

135.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.47 BAM 2.57

-23.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$1.39 BAM 2.43

53.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.17 BAM 2.04

34.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$8.32 BAM 14.53

2.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.58 BAM 2.76

-3.80%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.3K BAM 51.2K

-26.32%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.8K BAM 38.1K

58.08%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$91.6 BAM 160

5.13%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$18.17 BAM 31.71

97.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$28.32 BAM 49.44

89.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$33.17 BAM 57.9

115.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$13.57 BAM 23.68

157.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$5.70 BAM 9.95

38.42%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$133 BAM 232

272.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$3,916 BAM 6,835

202.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$87.7 BAM 153

-38.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$32.35 BAM 56.5

71.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$89.7 BAM 157

-13.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$99.2 BAM 173

-19.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$213 BAM 372

269.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$185 BAM 323

329.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$261 BAM 455

1409.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$210 BAM 367

574.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,747 BAM 3,050

295.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

$1,393 BAM 2,432

-12.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

$717 BAM 1,252

20.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.08

111.27%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Istočno Sarajevo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Istočno Sarajevo

$185 20.6% 76.7% $609

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Istočno Sarajevo

$237 26.4% 32.8% $115

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Istočno Sarajevo

$140 15.6% 33.8% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Istočno Sarajevo

$138 15.4% 25.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Istočno Sarajevo

$139 15.5% 15.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Istočno Sarajevo

$45 5% 49% $43

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Istočno Sarajevo

$13 * 1.5% 84.9% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $213 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 20% 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 $38.00 in Istočno Sarajevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $237 per month, with Istočno Sarajevo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇦 Istočno Sarajevo

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

13:06 1:06 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

10,642

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Istočno Sarajevo 10,350 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Istočno Sarajevo

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 Istočno Sarajevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Istočno Sarajevo differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $897 including rent). Istočno Sarajevo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $213 in Istočno Sarajevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $133 in Istočno Sarajevo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Istočno Sarajevo – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $897 in Istočno Sarajevo versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Istočno Sarajevo but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Istočno Sarajevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Istočno Sarajevo 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 Istočno Sarajevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.