Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lillestrom

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,615 in Lillestrom, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Lillestrom
Learn more

Lillestrom Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Lillestrom

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,615

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lillestrom

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,615 in Lillestrom.

Nosara $1,835
Lillestrom $2,615

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $4,023 in Lillestrom.

Nosara $2,825
Lillestrom $4,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $5,432 in Lillestrom.

Nosara $3,814
Lillestrom $5,432

Living in Nosara costs roughly 30% less than in Lillestrom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Lillestrom 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$20.91 NOK 197

-40.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$121 NOK 1,135

-49.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.05 NOK 104

-29.77%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$6.17 NOK 58.1

-28.04%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$4.05 NOK 38.09

-55.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$3.12 NOK 29.36

-58.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$11.80 NOK 111

-72.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$10.45 NOK 98.4

-57.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.45 NOK 23.10

-36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.62 NOK 34.06

-14.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.08 NOK 38.37

-37.99%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$5.73 NOK 53.9

-39.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$13.08 NOK 123

-44.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$13.77 NOK 130

-25.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$27.30 NOK 257

-48.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.46 NOK 32.55

-33.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.81 NOK 26.45

-41.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.08 NOK 38.40

17.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$5.45 NOK 51.3

-69.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.75 NOK 25.85

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.69 NOK 34.71

1.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.79 NOK 16.80

-39.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.28 NOK 21.44

13.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$17.49 NOK 165

-70.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$16.88 NOK 159

18.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$5.57 NOK 52.5

-49.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$5.86 NOK 55.1

-39.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$4.46 NOK 42.01

-72.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$83.8 NOK 789

-11.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$11.92 NOK 112

-81.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.85 NOK 17.44

-15.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$69.1 NOK 650

-87.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$2.29 NOK 21.53

-32.31%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$48.5K NOK 456.4K

-28.74%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$44.4K NOK 418.1K

-12.76%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$269 NOK 2,532

-64.75%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$32.87 NOK 309

9.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$52.5 NOK 494

1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$49.58 NOK 467

48.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$36.47 NOK 343

-2.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$17.09 NOK 161

-53.72%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$238 NOK 2,244

105.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$13.1K NOK 122.8K

-8.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$101 NOK 955

-45.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$55.8 NOK 525

0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$126 NOK 1,186

-36.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$158 NOK 1,484

-50.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,245 NOK 11.7K

-35.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$982 NOK 9,242

-19.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,945 NOK 18.3K

105.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,658 NOK 15.6K

-15.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$6,206 NOK 58.4K

13.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$4,015 NOK 37.8K

-69.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$3,767 NOK 35.5K

-76.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.94

74.49%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Lillestrom

$982 37.5% 24.3% $192

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Lillestrom

$491 18.8% 40.4% $141

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Lillestrom

$383 14.7% 80.1% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Lillestrom

$354 13.6% 92.5% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Lillestrom

$198 7.6% 63.9% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Lillestrom

$84 3.2% 6.5% $5.8

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Lillestrom

$123 4.7% 38.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $1,245 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 325% 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 $121 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $491 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇳🇴 Lillestrom

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

18:55 6:55 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

94,585

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Lillestrom 9,430 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lillestrom

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 Lillestrom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Lillestrom. 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 325% lower in Lillestrom. 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 $1,245 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $238 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,615 in Lillestrom, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Lillestrom. 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 $1,835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Lillestrom 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 42% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.