Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sala

For one person, living is cheaper in Sala: $1,402 a month against $1,835 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 Sala
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Sala Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Sala

🇸🇰 Slovakia

$1,402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sala

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,402 in Sala, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Sala $1,402

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,012 in Sala, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Sala $2,012

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,623 in Sala, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Sala $2,623

Nosara costs about 31% more than Sala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Sala sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Sala by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$9.65 €8.58

27.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$33.98 €30.22

80.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$9.14 €8.13

-15.10%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.09 €2.75

43.69%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.05 €1.83

-12.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.41 €1.25

-8.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.31 €2.05

40.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$2.30 €2.04

92.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.05 €0.94

47.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.49 €1.33

106.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.98 €1.76

27.78%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.44 €3.06

0.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$10.20 €9.08

-28.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$7.77 €6.91

31.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$11.03 €9.81

27.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$1.68 €1.49

36.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.97 €1.75

-16.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.37 €2.11

102.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$2.66 €2.37

-38.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.32 €1.17

191.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.51 €1.34

148.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.59 €1.41

-31.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.79 €0.71

227.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$6.66 €5.92

-23.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$3.29 €2.93

505.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$0.95 €0.84

194.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.89 €1.68

86.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.05 €0.93

16.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$29.53 €26.27

150.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.69 €1.51

28.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.40 €0.36

290.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$13.24 €11.78

-34.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.87 €1.66

-17.11%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.5K €22.7K

35.63%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$22.3K €19.9K

73.40%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$233 €207

-59.35%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$19.40 €17.25

86.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$19.94 €17.74

166.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$40.23 €35.78

83.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$17.02 €15.14

109.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$9.17 €8.16

-13.74%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$405 €360

21.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,368 €6,553

61.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$59.6 €53.0

-8.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$31.06 €27.63

79.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$78.3 €69.7

2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$93.2 €82.9

-16.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$644 €573

24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$513 €456

53.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$993 €883

303.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$798 €710

76.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$3,587 €3,190

96.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,484 €2,210

-50.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.57

141.46%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sala: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Sala

$513 36.6% 35% $276

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Sala

$231 16.5% 34% $119

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Sala

$172 12.3% 19.3% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Sala

$273 19.4% 48.1% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Sala

$118 8.4% 2.5% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Sala

$59 4.2% 34.7% $31

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Sala

$37 2.7% 57.8% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $644 in Sala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $34.00 in Sala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $231 – making Sala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇰 Sala

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

04:27 4:27 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

24,099

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Sala 10,160 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sala

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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,402 in Sala – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,103 in Sala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 150% less in Sala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $405 in Sala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sala, where all-in costs run around $1,402, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Sala 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 $1,402 in Sala to $1,835 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 Sala. 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.