Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Karlstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlstad: $1,713 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
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Karlstad Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Karlstad

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,713 in Karlstad, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Karlstad $1,713

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,643 in Karlstad, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Karlstad $2,643

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,572 in Karlstad, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Karlstad $3,572

Nosara costs about 7% more than Karlstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Karlstad sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Karlstad by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$14.97 SEK 148

-17.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$78.2 SEK 775

-21.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.66 SEK 95.7

-22.15%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.80 SEK 47.60

-8.12%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.54 SEK 25.21

-31.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.12 SEK 20.98

-38.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.69 SEK 76.2

-57.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.45 SEK 63.9

-30.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.51 SEK 15.00

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.89 SEK 28.64

4.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.68 SEK 36.48

-31.79%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.50 SEK 44.60

-20.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.84 SEK 97.5

-24.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$14.17 SEK 140

-25.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$17.97 SEK 178

-22.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.82 SEK 27.95

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.64 SEK 26.12

-39.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.09 SEK 30.57

55.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.09 SEK 50.4

-68.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.91 SEK 18.88

98.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.67 SEK 16.58

120.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.61 SEK 25.90

-56.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.31 SEK 12.95

103.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$6.89 SEK 68.3

-24.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.86 SEK 97.7

101.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.37 SEK 23.46

22.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.09 SEK 20.69

73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.16 SEK 31.32

-64.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$79.9 SEK 792

-9.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.42 SEK 53.7

-60.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.33 SEK 13.16

18.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$61.5 SEK 609

-86.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.77 SEK 17.50

-14.12%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$32.2K SEK 319.4K

-32.96%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.7K SEK 323.8K

5.61%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$101 SEK 1,001

-4.71%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.82 SEK 157

126.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$44.59 SEK 442

20.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$44.52 SEK 441

60.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$16.95 SEK 168

105.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.91 SEK 138

-43.28%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$123 SEK 1,223

300.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$105 SEK 1,039

-48.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$38.98 SEK 386

42.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$73.5 SEK 728

6.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$142 SEK 1,403

-43.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$834 SEK 8,264

-5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$567 SEK 5,617

40.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,154 SEK 11.4K

241.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$861 SEK 8,528

64.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,710 SEK 36.8K

86.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,794 SEK 27.7K

-56.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,220 SEK 31.9K

-73.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.8

126.84%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Karlstad

$567 33.1% 28.6% $227

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Karlstad

$370 21.6% 4.9% $17

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Karlstad

$276 16.1% 30.5% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Karlstad

$161 9.4% 13.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Karlstad

$161 9.4% 34.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Karlstad

$72 4.2% 17.2% $15

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Karlstad

$105 6.1% 20.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $834 in Karlstad. 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 273% higher in Karlstad, 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 $78.0 in Karlstad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $370 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

16:03 4:03 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

62,797

💱 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 Karlstad 9,570 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Karlstad

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 Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,569 in Karlstad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karlstad, 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 $78.0 in Karlstad. 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 $1,713 in Karlstad. That's a gap of about 7%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Karlstad, where all-in costs run around $1,713, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Karlstad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karlstad – 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 Karlstad. 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.