Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mlava

For one person, living is cheaper in Mlava: $1,406 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Mlava
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Mlava Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Mlava

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mlava

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,406 in Mlava.

Nosara $1,839
Mlava $1,406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $1,992 in Mlava.

Nosara $2,828
Mlava $1,992

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $2,577 in Mlava.

Nosara $3,818
Mlava $2,577

Living in Nosara is roughly 31% more expensive than in Mlava, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Mlava 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$10.13 zł 39.35

21.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$25.39 zł 98.7

140.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.60 zł 29.51

-1.05%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.50 zł 9.70

76.40%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.86 zł 7.24

-6.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.61 zł 6.25

-18.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.47 zł 9.58

32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.78 zł 14.69

18.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.04 zł 4.04

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.66 zł 6.46

81.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.96 zł 3.74

161.46%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.64 zł 14.13

-1.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.72 zł 33.87

-14.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.86 zł 26.65

53.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.68 zł 45.38

19.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.36 zł 5.27

72.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.73 zł 6.71

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.56 zł 6.05

207.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.23 zł 12.55

-50.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.98 zł 3.81

287.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.31 zł 5.11

181.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.10 zł 4.27

2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.69 zł 2.68

285.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.58 zł 17.79

13.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$6.42 zł 24.94

209.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.06 zł 4.12

173.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.39 zł 5.41

161.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.96 zł 3.71

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$32.25 zł 125

125.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.10 zł 8.14

1.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.83 zł 3.21

89.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$9.71 zł 37.71

-12.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.57 zł 6.10

-3.18%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$30.7K zł 119.1K

-29.51%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.4K zł 106.6K

25.84%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$283 zł 1,099

-65.97%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$6.26 zł 24.33

473.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$7.61 zł 29.55

604.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$37.86 zł 147

89.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$22.41 zł 87.1

55.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.21 zł 20.24

51.44%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$329 zł 1,279

50.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,139 zł 20.0K

130.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$80.3 zł 312

-32.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$37.28 zł 145

48.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$87.5 zł 340

-10.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$76.1 zł 296

4.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$608 zł 2,363

29.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$505 zł 1,962

57.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$979 zł 3,802

302.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$805 zł 3,129

76.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,881 zł 11.2K

139.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,203 zł 8,560

-44.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,013 zł 3,935

-14.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.89

25.11%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mlava: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Mlava

$505 35.9% 36.4% $289

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Mlava

$220 15.6% 37.7% $133

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Mlava

$168 11.9% 20.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Mlava

$297 21.1% 59.8% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Mlava

$127 9% 5.3% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mlava

$48 3.4% 44.7% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Mlava

$42 3% 51.4% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $608 in Mlava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mlava pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $25.00 in Mlava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $220 per month, with Mlava cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇱 Mlava

🕒 Local time

16:46 4:46 PM

00:46 12:46 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

31,130

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mlava 10,160 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mlava

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 Mlava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mlava is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Mlava. 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: $788 in Nosara versus $608 in Mlava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $329 in Mlava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,406 in Mlava versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mlava but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Mlava the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mlava 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 Mlava 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 Mlava gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.