Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kalmar

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Kalmar: $1,839 and $1,907 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Kalmar
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Kalmar Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kalmar

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kalmar

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,907 in Kalmar, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Kalmar $1,907

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,844 in Kalmar, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Kalmar $2,844

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,781 in Kalmar, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kalmar $3,781

Nosara is about 4% cheaper than Kalmar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Kalmar sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Kalmar by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$14.70 SEK 146

-15.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$71.0 SEK 704

-13.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.27 SEK 102

-26.78%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.65 SEK 46.09

-5.16%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.82 SEK 27.99

-38.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.59 SEK 25.71

-49.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$9.66 SEK 95.7

-66.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.03 SEK 69.7

-36.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.47 SEK 14.61

6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.01 SEK 29.83

0.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.92 SEK 28.97

-14.04%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.59 SEK 45.43

-22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$16.24 SEK 161

-54.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$10.97 SEK 109

-4.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$21.76 SEK 216

-35.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.46 SEK 24.38

-4.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.63 SEK 26.06

-38.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.40 SEK 33.69

41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.27 SEK 42.33

-62.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.63 SEK 16.12

133.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.30 SEK 22.82

60.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.84 SEK 18.19

-38.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.66 SEK 16.43

60.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$7.97 SEK 79.0

-35.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.19 SEK 91.1

116.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.96 SEK 19.44

47.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.51 SEK 24.87

44.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.33 SEK 33.01

-66.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$76.6 SEK 759

-5.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$9.70 SEK 96.1

-77.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.66 SEK 16.40

-5.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$46.98 SEK 466

-81.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.70 SEK 16.81

-10.59%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.9K SEK 296.3K

-27.73%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.7K SEK 284.4K

20.27%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$142 SEK 1,403

-31.99%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$26.84 SEK 266

33.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$31.79 SEK 315

68.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$30.76 SEK 305

132.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$26.42 SEK 262

32.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$14.67 SEK 145

-46.22%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$138 SEK 1,367

258.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,914 SEK 48.7K

141.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$50.5 SEK 501

6.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$42.32 SEK 419

30.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$79.8 SEK 791

-2.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$101 SEK 998

-20.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$914 SEK 9,056

-13.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$751 SEK 7,440

5.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,294 SEK 12.8K

204.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

28.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,041 SEK 40.0K

71.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,682 SEK 26.6K

-54.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,878 SEK 28.5K

-70.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.93

119.34%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kalmar

$751 39.4% 5.5% $43

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kalmar

$377 19.8% 6.9% $24

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kalmar

$288 15.1% 36.1% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kalmar

$200 10.5% 7.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kalmar

$123 6.5% 2.4% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kalmar

$60 3.2% 31.2% $27

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kalmar

$108 5.7% 23.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $914 in Kalmar. 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 233% higher in Kalmar, 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 $71.0 in Kalmar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $377 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇪 Kalmar

🕒 Local time

21:38 9:38 PM

05:38 5:38 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

35,170

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, 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).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Kalmar 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kalmar

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 Kalmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,907 in Kalmar – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,861 in Kalmar. 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.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $138 in Kalmar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Kalmar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Kalmar at $1,907. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kalmar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $1,907 in Kalmar. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Kalmar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.