Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Reykjavik

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Reykjavik $4,037

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $5,666 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Reykjavik $5,666

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $7,295 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Reykjavik $7,295

Nosara is about 54% cheaper than Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Reykjavik sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Reykjavik by 201%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$30.59 ISK 3,727

-60.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$136 ISK 16.5K

-55.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$27.08 ISK 3,300

-72.16%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$6.72 ISK 818

-35.86%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$3.27 ISK 399

-47.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$3.16 ISK 386

-57.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$13.91 ISK 1,695

-76.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$12.06 ISK 1,469

-62.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.04 ISK 248

-23.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$4.32 ISK 526

-26.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.67 ISK 447

-34.06%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$7.02 ISK 855

-49.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$22.01 ISK 2,682

-66.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$24.70 ISK 3,009

-57.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$42.66 ISK 5,198

-67.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.37 ISK 411

-31.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.85 ISK 347

-43.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.17 ISK 387

49.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$6.39 ISK 779

-74.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$4.01 ISK 489

-7.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.64 ISK 200

117.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$3.80 ISK 462

-71.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.74 ISK 212

46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$13.80 ISK 1,681

-64.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$23.38 ISK 2,849

-14.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$3.53 ISK 430

-20.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.45 ISK 420

2.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$5.77 ISK 703

-79.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

-24.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$6.63 ISK 808

-66.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.79 ISK 340

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$81.4 ISK 9,915

-89.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$2.11 ISK 257

-25.59%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-57.09%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

-34.32%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

5.39%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$31.53 ISK 3,842

11.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

-39.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$100 ISK 12.2K

-28.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$48.20 ISK 5,873

-26.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$19.87 ISK 2,422

-60.54%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$1,277 ISK 155.7K

-61.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

-61.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$161 ISK 19.6K

-66.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$64.9 ISK 7,908

-14.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$183 ISK 22.3K

-56.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$254 ISK 30.9K

-68.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$2,499 ISK 304.6K

-68.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$2,000 ISK 243.7K

-61.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$3,452 ISK 420.6K

11.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$2,742 ISK 334.2K

-48.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$8,001 ISK 974.9K

-12.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$6,249 ISK 761.5K

-80.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$4,691 ISK 571.6K

-81.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

8.81

-2.16%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9% 157% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Reykjavik

$625 15.9% 78.8% $276

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Reykjavik

$526 13.4% 151% $316

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Reykjavik

$205 5.2% 13.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Reykjavik

$298 7.6% 148% $178

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Reykjavik

$140 3.6% 60.9% $53

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Reykjavik

$139 3.5% 59.9% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $2,499 in Reykjavik. 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 435% higher in Reykjavik, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $136 in Reykjavik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $625 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

23:38 11:38 PM

05:38 5:38 AM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Reykjavik 7,760 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Reykjavik

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 Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $4,037 in Reykjavik – roughly 120% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $6,055 in Reykjavik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 32% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $1,277 in Reykjavik. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $4,037 in Reykjavik. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Reykjavik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.