Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Orhei

For one person, living is cheaper in Orhei: $361 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Orhei
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Orhei Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Orhei

🇲🇩 Moldova

$361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Orhei

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $361 in Orhei, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Orhei $361

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $588 in Orhei, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Orhei $588

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $816 in Orhei, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Orhei $816

Nosara costs about 410% more than Orhei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Orhei is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.28 MDL 200

9.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$22.16 MDL 394

176.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.09 MDL 126

6.06%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.38 MDL 24.58

219.57%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.78 MDL 13.87

123.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.47 MDL 8.34

178.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.14 MDL 20.21

187.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.39 MDL 24.66

221.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.99 MDL 17.61

57.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.33 MDL 5.85

815.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.96 MDL 34.87

82.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.92 MDL 34.18

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.67 MDL 11.92

467.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.52 MDL 9.21

411.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.16 MDL 2.84

600.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.11 MDL 19.70

92.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.68 MDL 29.76

-9.52%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$20.5K MDL 363.9K

68.48%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$59.2 MDL 1,052

62.54%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$6.67 MDL 118

438.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$9.97 MDL 177

437.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.37 MDL 59.8

134.12%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$33.84 MDL 601

59.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$33.59 MDL 597

64.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$107 MDL 1,904

-27.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$33.84 MDL 601

135.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Orhei: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Orhei

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Orhei

$41 * 11.3% 88.4% $311

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Orhei

$142 39.3% 33.1% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Orhei

$76 21% 59.1% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Orhei

$94 26% 21.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Orhei

$6.7 * 1.9% 92.3% $81

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Orhei

$1.8 * 0.5% 98% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $22.00 in Orhei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $41.00 – making Orhei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇩 Orhei

🕒 Local time

22:06 10:06 PM

07:06 7:06 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

24,918

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, 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).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Orhei 10,960 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Orhei

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 Orhei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $361 in Orhei – roughly 410% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $541 in Orhei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $22.00 in Orhei. 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 $361 in Orhei. That's a gap of about 410%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Orhei, where all-in costs run around $361, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Orhei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $361 in Orhei to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Orhei. 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.