Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Struga

For one person, living is cheaper in Struga: $867 a month against $1,839 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
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Nosara Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Struga
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Struga Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Struga

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Struga

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $867 in Struga, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Struga $867

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,319 in Struga, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Struga $1,319

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,771 in Struga, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Struga $1,771

Nosara costs about 112% more than Struga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$7.38 MKD 402

67.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$29.55 MKD 1,612

107.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$5.35 MKD 292

40.56%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.50 MKD 81.9

194.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.79 MKD 97.7

-2.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.17 MKD 63.7

11.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.73 MKD 149

20.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.04 MKD 166

47.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.26 MKD 68.9

23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.69 MKD 37.56

337.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.61 MKD 87.8

55.90%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.97 MKD 107

81.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.78 MKD 424

-4.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.37 MKD 348

65.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.59 MKD 687

10.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.47 MKD 80.3

59.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.32 MKD 71.8

21.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.30 MKD 70.7

269.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.60 MKD 87.4

0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.87 MKD 47.52

336.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.80 MKD 43.56

361.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.59 MKD 32.44

91.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.55 MKD 29.88

383.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.42 MKD 186

51.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.51 MKD 246

340.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.06 MKD 57.9

173.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.46 MKD 79.7

148.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.89 MKD 48.58

25.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$53.6 MKD 2,924

35.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.12 MKD 61.0

91.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.62 MKD 33.69

153.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$4.87 MKD 266

74.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.49 MKD 81.3

2.01%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.0K MKD 2.0M

-40.00%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.3K MKD 1.5M

26.53%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$99.8 MKD 5,445

-3.54%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$10.97 MKD 599

227.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$18.76 MKD 1,024

185.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$19.98 MKD 1,090

258.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$11.68 MKD 637

198.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.21 MKD 393

9.43%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$116 MKD 6,348

324.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,579 MKD 86.1K

651.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$83.5 MKD 4,553

-35.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.17 MKD 1,646

83.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$70.1 MKD 3,825

11.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$52.4 MKD 2,856

52.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$269 MKD 14.7K

192.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$225 MKD 12.3K

253.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$439 MKD 23.9K

797.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$355 MKD 19.4K

299.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,504 MKD 82.0K

359.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,328 MKD 72.4K

-7.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$867 MKD 47.3K

-0.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.75

129.87%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Struga: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Struga

$225 25.9% 71.7% $570

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Struga

$186 21.4% 47.3% $167

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Struga

$125 14.4% 41.2% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Struga

$130 15% 30.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Struga

$106 12.3% 11.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Struga

$34 4% 60.6% $53

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Struga

$61 7.1% 29.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $269 in Struga. 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 0% higher in Struga, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $30.00 in Struga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $186 – making Struga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇰 Struga

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

01:10 1:10 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

33,000

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Struga 10,610 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Struga

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 Struga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $867 in Struga – roughly 112% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,300 in Struga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 35% less in Struga. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $116 in Struga. 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 Struga, where all-in costs run around $867, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Struga 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 $867 in Struga 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 Struga. 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.