Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Makarska

For one person, living is cheaper in Makarska: $1,586 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Makarska
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Makarska Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Makarska

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Makarska

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,586 in Makarska.

Nosara $1,839
Makarska $1,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,463 in Makarska.

Nosara $2,828
Makarska $2,463

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,339 in Makarska.

Nosara $3,818
Makarska $3,339

Living in Nosara is roughly 16% more expensive than in Makarska, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Makarska 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$17.45 €15.52

-29.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$79.0 €70.3

-22.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.89 €7.02

-4.69%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.34 €2.97

32.04%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$4.00 €3.56

-56.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$3.06 €2.73

-57.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.64 €5.02

-41.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.54 €4.04

-1.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.13 €1.01

38.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.70 €1.51

77.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.07 €2.73

-18.24%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.89 €4.35

-26.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.33 €13.63

-51.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.49 €8.45

10.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.73 €10.43

19.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.96 €1.74

19.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.51 €1.35

6.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.10 €1.87

128.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.67 €2.38

-39.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.22 €1.97

71.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.01 €1.79

83.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.53 €1.36

-26.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.63 €1.45

63.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.55 €4.94

-6.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.65 €6.80

159.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.37 €1.22

111.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.49 €1.32

143.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.53 €1.36

-26.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$39.51 €35.14

83.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.09 €2.75

-30.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.43 €1.27

9.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$12.02 €10.69

-29.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.67 €1.49

-8.98%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$25.9K €23.1K

-16.63%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.9K €22.2K

38.45%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$177 €158

-45.72%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$27.30 €24.28

31.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$42.91 €38.17

24.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$46.14 €41.04

55.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$16.43 €14.61

112.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.98 €7.99

-12.14%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$413 €368

19.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,923 €6,158

71.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$87.7 €78.0

-38.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$45.07 €40.09

22.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$105 €93.5

-25.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$79.2 €70.4

0.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$692 €616

13.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$516 €459

53.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,197 €1,065

229.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$877 €780

61.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,594 €3,197

92.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,232 €2,875

-62.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.72

131.72%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Makarska: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Makarska

$516 32.5% 35% $278

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Makarska

$291 18.3% 17.4% $61

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Makarska

$269 17% 26.9% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Makarska

$248 15.6% 33.3% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Makarska

$143 9% 18.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Makarska

$64 4% 26.6% $23

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Makarska

$56 3.5% 35.9% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $692 in Makarska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $79.0 in Makarska. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $291, with Makarska cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇭🇷 Makarska

🕒 Local time

06:15 6:15 AM

14:15 2:15 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

12,809

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Makarska 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Makarska

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 Makarska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makarska is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $2,379 in Makarska to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $692 in Makarska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $413 in Makarska. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,586 in Makarska versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Makarska but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Makarska the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Makarska 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 Makarska 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 Makarska gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.