Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Stara Zagora

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $864 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
Learn more

Stara Zagora Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Stara Zagora

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $864 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Stara Zagora $864

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,394 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Stara Zagora $1,394

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,924 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Stara Zagora $1,924

Nosara costs about 113% more than Stara Zagora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Stara Zagora is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$10.36 BGN 18.13

17.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$50.8 BGN 88.8

18.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-14.22%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.33 BGN 4.08

84.98%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.51 BGN 2.65

13.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.88 BGN 1.54

53.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.30 BGN 4.02

40.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.00 BGN 3.49

124.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.79 BGN 3.13

-12.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.88 BGN 1.54

260.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.45 BGN 2.54

66.90%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.37 BGN 4.14

50.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$9.27 BGN 16.22

-19.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.62 BGN 11.58

57.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$8.59 BGN 15.04

59.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.32 BGN 2.31

75.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.71 BGN 3.00

-5.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.76 BGN 3.08

169.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.98 BGN 3.46

-16.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.01 BGN 1.77

268.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.76 BGN 1.33

369.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.54 BGN 0.95

103.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.64 BGN 1.11

298.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.79 BGN 6.64

30.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.04 BGN 8.82

297.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.14 BGN 2.00

144.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.71 BGN 2.99

106.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.89 BGN 1.55

33.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$18.61 BGN 32.56

287.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.31 BGN 2.29

70.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.64 BGN 1.12

142.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$11.52 BGN 20.16

-23.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.60 BGN 2.81

-1.88%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$30.6K BGN 53.6K

-28.79%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$22.3K BGN 39.1K

54.99%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$93.2 BGN 163

0.24%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$14.82 BGN 25.93

136.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$12.33 BGN 21.57

317.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$26.49 BGN 46.36

169.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$21.22 BGN 37.14

67.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.66 BGN 15.16

-9.47%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$234 BGN 410

109.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$2,272 BGN 3,975

423.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$31.04 BGN 54.3

72.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$19.21 BGN 33.62

190.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$63.9 BGN 112

24.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$51.7 BGN 90.5

52.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$298 BGN 522

163.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$250 BGN 438

211.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$494 BGN 865

681.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$395 BGN 692

256.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,449 BGN 2,536

381.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,064 BGN 1,861

12.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,058 BGN 1,852

-17.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

2.99

188.29%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Stara Zagora: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Stara Zagora

$250 28.7% 67.9% $529

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Stara Zagora

$196 22.4% 43.9% $154

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Stara Zagora

$162 18.6% 22.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Stara Zagora

$120 13.8% 33.1% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Stara Zagora

$75 8.5% 38% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Stara Zagora

$44 5% 49.7% $43

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Stara Zagora

$27 3.1% 69.3% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $298 in Stara Zagora. 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 21% higher in Stara Zagora, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $51.0 in Stara Zagora. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $196 – making Stara Zagora the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

09:27 9:27 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

149,266

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, 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).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Stara Zagora 10,950 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Stara Zagora

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 Stara Zagora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $864 in Stara Zagora – roughly 113% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,296 in Stara Zagora. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 287% less in Stara Zagora. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $234 in Stara Zagora. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Stara Zagora, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Stara Zagora 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 $864 in Stara Zagora to $1,837 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 Stara Zagora. 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.