Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lugavcina

For one person, living is cheaper in Lugavcina: $1,014 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lugavcina
Learn more

Lugavcina Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Lugavcina

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lugavcina

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,014 in Lugavcina, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Lugavcina $1,014

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,480 in Lugavcina, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Lugavcina $1,480

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,945 in Lugavcina, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Lugavcina $1,945

Nosara costs about 81% more than Lugavcina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Lugavcina is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$8.60 RSD 897

43.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$32.93 RSD 3,433

85.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.51 RSD 992

-20.93%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.00 RSD 209

120.50%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.35 RSD 245

-25.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.76 RSD 184

-25.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.77 RSD 394

-13.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.56 RSD 476

-1.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.09 RSD 114

43.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.69 RSD 71.5

337.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.79 RSD 186

40.22%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.37 RSD 247

50.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.80 RSD 813

-4.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.84 RSD 609

80.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.57 RSD 1,102

32.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.08 RSD 113

117.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.70 RSD 178

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.50 RSD 156

220.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.13 RSD 223

-24.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.84 RSD 87.3

352.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.72 RSD 75.3

412.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.67 RSD 69.6

68.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.57 RSD 59.9

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.38 RSD 456

18.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.84 RSD 609

240.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.70 RSD 73.1

314.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.25 RSD 130

190.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.92 RSD 96.3

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.83 RSD 191

16.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.64 RSD 66.5

145.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.28 RSD 863

2.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.90 RSD 198

-20.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$30.4K RSD 3.2M

-28.81%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.9K RSD 2.5M

44.17%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$165 RSD 17.2K

-41.48%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$19.34 RSD 2,016

85.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$22.50 RSD 2,346

138.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$28.72 RSD 2,993

149.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.67 RSD 487

68.95%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$253 RSD 26.3K

95.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,916 RSD 512.4K

141.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$89.1 RSD 9,291

-39.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$37.97 RSD 3,958

45.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$99.3 RSD 10.4K

-21.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$111 RSD 11.6K

-28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$313 RSD 32.6K

151.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$261 RSD 27.2K

203.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$429 RSD 44.7K

819.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$369 RSD 38.4K

284.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,104 RSD 219.4K

228.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,582 RSD 164.9K

-22.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.12

68.36%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lugavcina: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Lugavcina

$261 25.8% 67.1% $533

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Lugavcina

$182 18% 48.3% $170

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Lugavcina

$166 16.4% 21.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Lugavcina

$206 20.4% 11.1% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Lugavcina

$152 15% 26.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lugavcina

$38 3.8% 56.4% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Lugavcina

$8.7 * 0.9% 90% $78

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $313 in Lugavcina. 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 $33.00 in Lugavcina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $182 – making Lugavcina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇷🇸 Lugavcina

🕒 Local time

23:59 11:59 PM

07:59 7:59 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, 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).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 104 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.59 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Lugavcina 10,520 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lugavcina

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 Lugavcina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 81% more than Lugavcina, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,522 in Lugavcina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lugavcina, 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 $1,014 in Lugavcina. That's a gap of about 81%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $253 in Lugavcina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lugavcina, where all-in costs run around $1,014, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Lugavcina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lugavcina costs $1,014 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 Lugavcina. 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.