Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kretinga

For one person, living is cheaper in Kretinga: $1,306 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Kretinga
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Kretinga Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Kretinga

🇱🇹 Lithuania

$1,306

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kretinga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $1,306 in Kretinga.

Nosara $1,835
Kretinga $1,306

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $1,945 in Kretinga.

Nosara $2,825
Kretinga $1,945

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $2,584 in Kretinga.

Nosara $3,814
Kretinga $2,584

Living in Nosara is roughly 41% more expensive than in Kretinga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Kretinga is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$12.47 €11.09

-1.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$50.7 €45.11

20.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$6.69 €5.95

15.99%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.20 €2.85

38.75%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.25 €2.00

-20.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.90 €1.69

-32.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.54 €4.93

-41.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.00 €4.45

-11.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.24 €1.11

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.46 €1.30

110.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.82 €1.62

39.01%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.89 €2.57

19.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$9.98 €8.88

-26.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$5.78 €5.14

77.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$9.48 €8.43

48.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$1.69 €1.51

35.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.43 €1.28

14.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.66 €1.48

188.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$2.98 €2.65

-44.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$0.72 €0.64

434.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$0.85 €0.75

341.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.46 €1.30

-25.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.84 €0.75

208.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$5.96 €5.30

-14.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$8.34 €7.42

138.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.61 €1.43

73.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.66 €1.48

112.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.98 €0.87

24.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$29.77 €26.48

148.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.05 €2.71

-28.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.81 €0.72

92.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$13.54 €12.05

-35.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.89 €1.68

-17.99%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.2K €24.2K

27.22%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$27.3K €24.3K

41.94%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$203 €181

-53.33%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$13.65 €12.14

164.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$14.10 €12.55

276.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$38.31 €34.08

92.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$23.19 €20.62

53.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$8.90 €7.91

-11.12%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$476 €423

3.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$9,312 €8,283

27.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$95.6 €85.1

-42.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$41.89 €37.26

33.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$80.0 €71.2

0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$131 €117

-40.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$583 €518

37.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$389 €346

102.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$778 €692

414.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$590 €524

139.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,787 €2,479

153.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,995 €1,774

-38.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$1,407 €1,251

-36.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.99

116.04%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Kretinga: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Kretinga

$389 29.8% 50.7% $400

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Kretinga

$220 16.8% 37.2% $130

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Kretinga

$213 16.3% 0.1% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Kretinga

$231 17.7% 25.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Kretinga

$157 12% 29.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Kretinga

$56 4.3% 37.4% $34

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Kretinga

$41 3.1% 54% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $583 in Kretinga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kretinga pays 59% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $51.0 in Kretinga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $220 per month, with Kretinga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇹 Kretinga

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

10:50 10:50 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

19,010

💱 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 25, 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Kretinga 10,120 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kretinga

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 Kretinga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kretinga is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Kretinga. 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: $801 in Nosara versus $583 in Kretinga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kretinga runs roughly 148% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $476 in Kretinga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,306 in Kretinga versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kretinga but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kretinga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kretinga is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Kretinga 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 Kretinga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.