Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sunny Beach

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunny Beach: $1,038 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Sunny Beach
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Sunny Beach Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Sunny Beach

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sunny Beach

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,038 in Sunny Beach, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Sunny Beach $1,038

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,578 in Sunny Beach, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Sunny Beach $1,578

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,117 in Sunny Beach, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Sunny Beach $2,117

Nosara costs about 77% more than Sunny Beach, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Sunny Beach is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$8.39 BGN 14.68

47.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$44.87 BGN 78.5

36.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$9.63 BGN 16.85

-21.91%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$2.86 BGN 5.01

54.20%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.74 BGN 3.04

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.56 BGN 2.73

-16.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$2.31 BGN 4.05

41.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$1.73 BGN 3.03

158.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.76 BGN 3.08

-11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$0.75 BGN 1.31

302.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$2.18 BGN 3.81

15.14%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$3.69 BGN 6.46

-3.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$8.40 BGN 14.70

-11.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$8.56 BGN 14.99

22.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$14.28 BGN 24.99

-2.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$1.70 BGN 2.97

38.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.77 BGN 3.09

-9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$1.91 BGN 3.34

151.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$2.63 BGN 4.60

-38.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$1.07 BGN 1.88

255.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$1.05 BGN 1.84

251.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.16 BGN 2.03

-2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.71 BGN 1.24

274.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$4.10 BGN 7.17

26.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$6.27 BGN 10.98

217.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$1.13 BGN 1.97

156.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$2.06 BGN 3.60

76.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.13 BGN 1.98

-0.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$1.27 BGN 2.22

68.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$0.65 BGN 1.13

141.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$10.32 BGN 18.06

-17.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.58 BGN 2.76

-3.80%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.6K BGN 51.8K

-26.93%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.4K BGN 42.7K

41.37%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$114 BGN 200

-15.71%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$18.46 BGN 32.31

94.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$15.66 BGN 27.41

242.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$8.90 BGN 15.57

-11.35%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$519 BGN 907

-4.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,550 BGN 9,713

113.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$33.86 BGN 59.3

59.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$41.32 BGN 72.3

34.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$95.8 BGN 168

-18.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$103 BGN 181

-22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$565 BGN 989

39.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$341 BGN 597

133.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$679 BGN 1,188

480.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$513 BGN 898

176.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,328 BGN 2,323

420.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

$1,135 BGN 1,987

7.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

$920 BGN 1,611

-6.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.1

178.06%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sunny Beach: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Sunny Beach

$341 32.9% 57.1% $453

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Sunny Beach

$240 23.1% 31.9% $112

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Sunny Beach

$159 15.3% 25.2% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Sunny Beach

$148 14.3% 20.1% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sunny Beach

$123 11.9% 2.8% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sunny Beach

$18 * 1.7% 79.6% $70

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Sunny Beach

$9 * 0.9% 89.6% $78

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $565 in Sunny Beach. 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 7% higher in Sunny Beach, 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 $45.00 in Sunny Beach. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $240 – making Sunny Beach the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇬 Sunny Beach

🕒 Local time

14:40 2:40 PM

23:40 11:40 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

13,347

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sunny Beach 11,090 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sunny Beach

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 Sunny Beach: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,038 in Sunny Beach – roughly 77% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,557 in Sunny Beach. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $45.00 in Sunny Beach. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sunny Beach, where all-in costs run around $1,038, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sunny Beach 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 $1,038 in Sunny Beach 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 Sunny Beach. 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.