Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Stip

For one person, living is cheaper in Stip: $806 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Stip
Learn more

Stip Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Stip

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Stip

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $806 in Stip, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Stip $806

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,205 in Stip, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Stip $1,205

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,605 in Stip, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Stip $1,605

Nosara costs about 128% more than Stip, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Stip is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.33 MKD 400

68.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$23.62 MKD 1,288

159.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.30 MKD 344

19.37%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.80 MKD 98.1

145.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.48 MKD 80.6

17.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.07 MKD 58.2

22.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.77 MKD 96.8

85.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.79 MKD 152

60.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.23 MKD 67.2

26.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.75 MKD 40.86

302.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.07 MKD 58.1

134.58%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.42 MKD 132

47.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.12 MKD 443

-8.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.25 MKD 395

45.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.46 MKD 407

87.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.87 MKD 47.22

170.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.44 MKD 78.7

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.32 MKD 72.0

263.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.66 MKD 90.8

-3.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.87 MKD 47.63

336.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.78 MKD 42.51

373.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.53 MKD 29.07

113.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.40 MKD 21.66

565.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.26 MKD 178

58.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.26 MKD 396

173.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.07 MKD 58.4

171.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.42 MKD 77.4

155.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.63 MKD 34.29

77.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$23.20 MKD 1,266

213.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.12 MKD 60.9

91.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.62 MKD 33.63

153.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.60 MKD 306

52.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.52 MKD 82.7

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.0K MKD 2.0M

-39.91%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.9K MKD 1.5M

23.72%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$157 MKD 8,562

-38.65%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$9.01 MKD 492

298.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$16.56 MKD 903

223.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$27.61 MKD 1,506

159.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.17 MKD 937

103.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$6.19 MKD 338

27.46%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$350 MKD 19.1K

41.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,765 MKD 314.5K

105.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$35.68 MKD 1,946

51.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.62 MKD 1,670

80.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$101 MKD 5,487

-22.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$114 MKD 6,196

-29.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$201 MKD 11.0K

292.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$126 MKD 6,876

530.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$327 MKD 17.9K

1103.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$197 MKD 10.7K

621.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,214 MKD 66.2K

469.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$958 MKD 52.3K

27.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$462 MKD 25.2K

86.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.23

103.78%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Stip: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Stip

$126 15.7% 84.1% $668

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Stip

$177 22% 49.7% $175

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Stip

$124 15.4% 41.6% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Stip

$183 22.7% 1.7% $3.2

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Stip

$126 15.7% 5.1% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Stip

$40 5% 54.2% $47

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Stip

$30 3.7% 65.7% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $201 in Stip. 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 87% higher in Nosara, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $24.00 in Stip. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $177 – making Stip the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇰 Stip

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

04:26 4:26 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

65,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, 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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Stip 10,710 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Stip

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 Stip: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $806 in Stip – roughly 128% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,208 in Stip. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 213% less in Stip. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $350 in Stip. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Stip, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Stip 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 $806 in Stip 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 Stip. 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.