Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Leova

For one person, living is cheaper in Leova: $1,355 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Leova
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Leova Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Leova

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Leova

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,355 in Leova.

Nosara $1,837
Leova $1,355

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $2,116 in Leova.

Nosara $2,775
Leova $2,116

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,876 in Leova.

Nosara $3,712
Leova $2,876

Living in Nosara is roughly 36% more expensive than in Leova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Leova 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$10.65 MDL 189

14.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$34.19 MDL 606

76.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$9.46 MDL 168

-20.30%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$0.86 MDL 15.27

401.16%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.49 MDL 8.77

251.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.39 MDL 6.84

246.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.62 MDL 46.35

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.74 MDL 48.59

63.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.74 MDL 30.91

-9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.55 MDL 27.44

104.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.34 MDL 23.76

80.60%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.33 MDL 23.59

168.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$13.92 MDL 247

-46.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$2.28 MDL 40.39

357.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$4.02 MDL 71.3

239.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.36 MDL 24.17

70.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$0.88 MDL 15.60

82.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$0.98 MDL 17.38

383.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.11 MDL 19.68

49.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.50 MDL 26.65

148.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.59 MDL 10.50

505.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.44 MDL 7.74

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.99 MDL 17.57

157.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$4.74 MDL 84.0

4.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$15.20 MDL 269

31.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.16 MDL 20.50

140.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.70 MDL 47.88

30.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.41 MDL 7.32

190.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$28.96 MDL 513

148.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.79 MDL 49.37

-19.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.55 MDL 9.68

181.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$3.38 MDL 59.9

162.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.37 MDL 24.34

14.60%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$33.7K MDL 596.7K

-35.25%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$35.4K MDL 626.7K

-2.06%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$189 MDL 3,358

-50.68%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$5.80 MDL 103

505.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$21.20 MDL 376

142.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$83.8 MDL 1,485

-14.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$11.12 MDL 197

218.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$4.66 MDL 82.6

68.24%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$85.3 MDL 1,512

-37.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$55.3 MDL 981

0.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$97.9 MDL 1,735

-19.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$115 MDL 2,038

-31.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$654 MDL 11.6K

20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$545 MDL 9,651

43.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,509 MDL 26.7K

155.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,102 MDL 19.5K

27.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,533 MDL 44.9K

175.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,920 MDL 34.0K

-37.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$653 MDL 11.6K

34.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.19

19.89%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Leova: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Leova

$545 39.3% 30.2% $235

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Leova

$191 13.8% 45.3% $158

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Leova

$146 10.5% 30.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Leova

$216 15.6% 20.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Leova

$159 11.5% 32.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Leova

$93 6.7% 6.9% $6

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Leova

$36 2.6% 58.4% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $654 in Leova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 34% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $34.00 in Leova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $191 per month, with Leova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇩 Leova

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

11:26 11:26 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

10,900

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MDL = 5.64 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17.72 MDL (100 MDL = 5.64 USD). 1 EUR = 19.88 MDL (100 MDL = 5.03 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Leova 10,960 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Leova

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 Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leova is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $654 in Leova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,355 in Leova – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,355 in Leova versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Leova but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Leova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Leova 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 Leova 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 Leova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.