Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Keflavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,992 in Keflavik, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Keflavik
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Keflavik Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Keflavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$2,992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Keflavik

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,992 in Keflavik.

Nosara $1,839
Keflavik $2,992

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $4,538 in Keflavik.

Nosara $2,828
Keflavik $4,538

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $6,084 in Keflavik.

Nosara $3,818
Keflavik $6,084

Living in Nosara costs roughly 39% less than in Keflavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Keflavik 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$24.71 ISK 2,997

-50.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$124 ISK 15.0K

-50.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$20.40 ISK 2,475

-63.14%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.06 ISK 493

8.62%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.18 ISK 386

-45.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$3.19 ISK 387

-58.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$8.00 ISK 970

-59.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$8.34 ISK 1,012

-46.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.10 ISK 255

-25.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$4.23 ISK 513

-28.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.53 ISK 307

-0.79%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$6.32 ISK 767

-43.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$19.06 ISK 2,311

-61.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$24.38 ISK 2,958

-56.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$41.25 ISK 5,003

-66.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.48 ISK 301

-5.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.51 ISK 304

-35.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.44 ISK 296

96.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.01 ISK 486

-59.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.20 ISK 388

18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.70 ISK 206

117.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.84 ISK 465

-70.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.78 ISK 215

49.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$13.97 ISK 1,695

-62.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$16.58 ISK 2,012

19.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.61 ISK 438

-19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.94 ISK 356

23.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.68 ISK 446

-69.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$77.6 ISK 9,407

-6.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$6.63 ISK 804

-67.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.58 ISK 312

-39.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$80.2 ISK 9,727

-89.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.10 ISK 255

-27.62%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$50.1K ISK 6.1M

-56.91%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$54.7K ISK 6.6M

-36.88%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$94.8 ISK 11.5K

1.57%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$33.29 ISK 4,038

7.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

-36.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$78.5 ISK 9,526

-8.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$19.48 ISK 2,363

-59.50%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$407 ISK 49.3K

21.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$25.7K ISK 3.1M

-53.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$152 ISK 18.4K

-64.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$65.4 ISK 7,934

-15.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$182 ISK 22.0K

-57.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$191 ISK 23.1K

-58.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,896 ISK 230.0K

-58.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,329 ISK 161.2K

-40.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,516 ISK 305.1K

56.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,061 ISK 250.0K

-31.13%

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

$3,752 ISK 455.0K

-76.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.81

-2.16%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Keflavik: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Keflavik

$1.3K 44.4% 67.3% $535

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Keflavik

$566 18.9% 60.5% $213

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Keflavik

$390 13% 84% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Keflavik

$213 7.1% 14.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Keflavik

$265 8.9% 121% $145

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Keflavik

$118 3.9% 34.5% $30

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Keflavik

$112 3.7% 28.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,896 in Keflavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keflavik pays 334% 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 $124 in Keflavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $566 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇸 Keflavik

🕒 Local time

20:35 8:35 PM

02:35 2:35 AM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

15,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Keflavik 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Keflavik

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 Keflavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Keflavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 334% lower in Keflavik. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,896 in Keflavik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 7% less than in Keflavik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $407 in Keflavik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,992 in Keflavik, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Keflavik. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Keflavik 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Keflavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.