Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Marsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Marsta: $1,642 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Marsta
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Marsta Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Marsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Marsta

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,642 in Marsta, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Marsta $1,642

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,549 in Marsta, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Marsta $2,549

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,456 in Marsta, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Marsta $3,456

Nosara costs about 12% more than Marsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Marsta sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Marsta by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$13.20 SEK 131

-6.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$65.8 SEK 652

-7.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.22 SEK 101

-26.42%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.42 SEK 43.82

-0.23%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.00 SEK 19.85

-13.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.75 SEK 17.30

-25.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.12 SEK 70.6

-53.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.78 SEK 67.2

-34.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.69 SEK 16.77

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.04 SEK 30.15

-0.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$5.64 SEK 55.9

-55.50%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.57 SEK 35.39

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.48 SEK 134

-44.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$8.95 SEK 88.7

17.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.90 SEK 167

-17.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.03 SEK 30.05

-22.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.67 SEK 26.49

-39.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.96 SEK 19.43

144.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.72 SEK 36.89

-56.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.41 SEK 13.98

169.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.48 SEK 14.66

149.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.95 SEK 19.31

-42.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.83 SEK 18.10

45.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$7.15 SEK 70.9

-27.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.10 SEK 100

96.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.87 SEK 18.56

55.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.03 SEK 20.13

78.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.36 SEK 33.27

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$75.8 SEK 751

-4.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$13.16 SEK 130

-83.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.00 SEK 19.86

-21.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$56.4 SEK 559

-84.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.74 SEK 17.20

-12.64%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$32.4K SEK 321.1K

-33.32%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.5K SEK 321.9K

6.25%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$60.2 SEK 597

59.87%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$27.96 SEK 277

28.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$39.22 SEK 389

36.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$37.67 SEK 373

90.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$26.55 SEK 263

31.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$16.03 SEK 159

-50.78%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$216 SEK 2,137

129.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,033 SEK 49.9K

135.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$49.36 SEK 489

9.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.13 SEK 299

83.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$89.4 SEK 885

-12.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$100 SEK 995

-20.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$802 SEK 7,943

-1.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$610 SEK 6,042

30.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,347 SEK 13.3K

192.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,005 SEK 9,954

41.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,974 SEK 39.4K

73.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,757 SEK 27.3K

-55.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$4,563 SEK 45.2K

-81.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.8

207.86%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Marsta: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Marsta

$610 37.1% 23.2% $184

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Marsta

$348 21.2% 1.1% $3.9

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Marsta

$254 15.4% 19.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Marsta

$127 7.8% 31.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Marsta

$121 7.4% 0.9% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Marsta

$70 4.3% 20.2% $18

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Marsta

$112 6.8% 29% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $802 in Marsta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 428% higher in Marsta, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $66.0 in Marsta. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $348 in Marsta – so Marsta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇪 Marsta

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

13:44 1:44 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

24,068

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, 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).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Marsta 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Marsta

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 Marsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,464 in Marsta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marsta, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $66.0 in Marsta. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $1,642 in Marsta. That's a gap of about 12%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Marsta, where all-in costs run around $1,642, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Marsta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Marsta – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Marsta. 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.