Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lushnje

For one person, living is cheaper in Lushnje: $1,195 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Lushnje
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Lushnje Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Lushnje

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,195

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lushnje

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,195 in Lushnje.

Nosara $1,839
Lushnje $1,195

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,844 in Lushnje.

Nosara $2,828
Lushnje $1,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,493 in Lushnje.

Nosara $3,818
Lushnje $2,493

Living in Nosara is roughly 54% more expensive than in Lushnje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Lushnje is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$10.05 ALL 809

22.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$54.4 ALL 4,383

12.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.90 ALL 878

-31.01%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.23 ALL 180

97.76%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.40 ALL 193

-27.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.23 ALL 99.4

6.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.51 ALL 283

-6.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.08 ALL 328

9.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.20 ALL 177

-29.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.13 ALL 91.3

167.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.34 ALL 189

7.26%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.80 ALL 306

-6.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.52 ALL 1,009

-40.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.00 ALL 725

16.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.76 ALL 1,350

-16.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.94 ALL 156

21.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.42 ALL 195

-33.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.21 ALL 178

117.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.88 ALL 151

-14.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.02 ALL 81.8

272.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.29 ALL 104

186.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.43 ALL 115

-20.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.77 ALL 62.3

245.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.74 ALL 382

9.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.50 ALL 846

89.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.55 ALL 125

87.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.09 ALL 169

73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.51 ALL 40.97

119.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$17.48 ALL 1,408

315.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.63 ALL 292

-41.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.69 ALL 297

-57.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$18.04 ALL 1,452

-52.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.31 ALL 186

-34.20%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$33.7K ALL 2.7M

-35.95%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.5K ALL 2.9M

-2.82%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$98.5 ALL 7,929

-2.20%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$18.19 ALL 1,465

97.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$19.49 ALL 1,570

174.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$58.0 ALL 4,674

23.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.02 ALL 807

-21.26%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$347 ALL 27.9K

42.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,195 ALL 659.9K

44.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$49.07 ALL 3,952

9.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$47.39 ALL 3,817

16.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$116 ALL 9,341

-32.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$113 ALL 9,065

-29.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$475 ALL 38.2K

66.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$326 ALL 26.3K

143.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$706 ALL 56.9K

457.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$473 ALL 38.1K

200.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,643 ALL 132.3K

320.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,053 ALL 84.8K

16.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$611 ALL 49.2K

41.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.39

59.93%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lushnje: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Lushnje

$326 27.3% 58.9% $468

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Lushnje

$287 24% 18.6% $65

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Lushnje

$180 15.1% 15% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Lushnje

$136 11.4% 26.7% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Lushnje

$146 12.2% 21.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lushnje

$78 6.5% 10.6% $9.3

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Lushnje

$42 3.5% 52.3% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $475 in Lushnje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 41% 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 $54.0 in Lushnje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $287 per month, with Lushnje cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇱 Lushnje

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

18:49 6:49 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

31,105

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, 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).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Lushnje 10,540 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lushnje

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 Lushnje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lushnje wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lushnje the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $788 in Nosara versus $475 in Lushnje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lushnje – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,195 in Lushnje – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,195 in Lushnje versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lushnje but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Lushnje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lushnje delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,195 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lushnje hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Lushnje 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 Lushnje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.