Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Jelgava

For one person, living is cheaper in Jelgava: $1,083 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Jelgava
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Jelgava Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Jelgava

🇱🇻 Latvia

$1,083

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Jelgava

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,083 in Jelgava, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Jelgava $1,083

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,645 in Jelgava, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Jelgava $1,645

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,208 in Jelgava, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Jelgava $2,208

Nosara costs about 70% more than Jelgava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Jelgava is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.90 €7.03

56.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$44.54 €39.62

37.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.65 €5.91

13.08%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.23 €2.88

36.53%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.59 €1.42

9.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.18 €1.05

11.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.40 €3.92

-25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.99 €3.55

12.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.18 €1.05

32.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.93 €0.82

224.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.49 €1.33

68.46%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.16 €2.81

12.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.50 €9.34

-29.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.54 €4.93

89.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.09 €8.08

53.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.66 €1.48

41.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.81 €1.61

-11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.48 €2.21

93.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.22 €2.86

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.81 €0.72

369.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.93 €0.83

296.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.72 €1.53

-34.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.96 €0.85

177.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.85 €6.10

-24.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.84 €6.97

153.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.00 €1.78

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.02 €1.80

79.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.99 €0.88

13.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$27.37 €24.34

165.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.29 €2.93

-34.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.98 €0.87

60.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$17.88 €15.91

-52.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.88 €1.68

-19.15%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$22.4K €19.9K

-3.40%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.9K €27.5K

11.64%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$185 €165

-48.01%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$18.97 €16.87

89.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$15.16 €13.48

253.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$45.48 €40.46

57.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$32.98 €29.34

5.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.18 €9.94

-29.43%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$222 €198

122.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.5K €12.9K

-18.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$49.37 €43.91

9.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$22.11 €19.67

150.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$55.3 €49.18

40.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$113 €101

-29.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$325 €289

142.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$261 €232

203.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$579 €515

580.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$422 €375

236.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$997 €887

593.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$906 €806

35.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,599 €1,422

-45.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

115.50%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jelgava: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Jelgava

$261 24.1% 67.1% $533

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Jelgava

$224 20.7% 36.5% $129

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Jelgava

$163 15.1% 23% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Jelgava

$219 20.3% 18.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Jelgava

$108 10% 10.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Jelgava

$68 6.3% 22.4% $20

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Jelgava

$40 3.7% 54.6% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $325 in Jelgava. 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 85% higher in Jelgava, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $45.00 in Jelgava. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $224 – making Jelgava the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇻 Jelgava

🕒 Local time

09:56 9:56 AM

18:56 6:56 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

63,534

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Jelgava 10,230 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Jelgava

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 Jelgava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,624 in Jelgava. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $45.00 in Jelgava. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $1,083 in Jelgava. That's a gap of about 70%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jelgava, where all-in costs run around $1,083, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Jelgava it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jelgava – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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