Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kista

For one person, living is cheaper in Kista: $1,726 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Kista
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Kista Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kista

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kista

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,726 in Kista, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Kista $1,726

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,685 in Kista, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Kista $2,685

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,644 in Kista, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kista $3,644

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

Both Nosara and Kista sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Kista by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$12.98 SEK 129

-4.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$75.9 SEK 752

-19.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.22 SEK 101

-26.42%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.44 SEK 44.02

-0.68%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.59 SEK 25.65

-32.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.20 SEK 21.83

-40.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.07 SEK 70.1

-53.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.28 SEK 72.1

-38.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.64 SEK 16.27

-4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.69 SEK 26.68

12.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.51 SEK 34.75

-28.49%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.24 SEK 42.04

-15.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.67 SEK 116

-36.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$11.62 SEK 115

-9.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$17.38 SEK 172

-19.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.05 SEK 30.22

-22.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.48 SEK 24.53

-35.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.89 SEK 28.60

66.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.30 SEK 42.59

-62.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.62 SEK 16.01

134.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.56 SEK 15.49

136.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.28 SEK 22.56

-50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.45 SEK 14.33

83.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$7.22 SEK 71.6

-28.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.69 SEK 96.0

105.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.95 SEK 19.29

48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.13 SEK 21.15

70.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.27 SEK 32.41

-65.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$76.2 SEK 755

-4.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$6.01 SEK 59.5

-64.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.71 SEK 16.99

-8.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$58.4 SEK 579

-85.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.79 SEK 17.70

-15.08%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$32.5K SEK 322.2K

-33.54%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.1K SEK 327.9K

4.31%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$102 SEK 1,013

-5.79%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$23.99 SEK 238

49.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$37.81 SEK 375

41.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$37.48 SEK 371

91.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$25.74 SEK 255

35.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$16.18 SEK 160

-51.24%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$154 SEK 1,522

221.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,003 SEK 49.6K

137.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$90.7 SEK 898

-40.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$40.01 SEK 396

38.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$89.3 SEK 885

-12.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$140 SEK 1,383

-42.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$795 SEK 7,877

-0.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$619 SEK 6,131

28.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,317 SEK 13.0K

199.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,016 SEK 10.1K

39.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,969 SEK 39.3K

74.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,749 SEK 27.2K

-55.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.45

149.86%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kista: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kista

$619 35.9% 22.1% $176

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kista

$351 20.3% 0.5% $1.7

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kista

$257 14.9% 21.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kista

$164 9.5% 11.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kista

$162 9.4% 34.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kista

$70 4.1% 20.1% $18

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kista

$104 6% 19.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $795 in Kista. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $76.0 in Kista. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $351 in Kista – so Kista wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇪 Kista

🕒 Local time

21:19 9:19 PM

05:19 5:19 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

10,254

💱 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 Kista 9,810 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kista

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 Kista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 7% more than Kista, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,589 in Kista. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $1,726 in Kista. That's a gap of about 7%.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Kista. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kista, where all-in costs run around $1,726, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kista it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kista costs $1,726 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Kista. 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.