Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Szczecinek

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecinek: $1,468 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Szczecinek
Learn more

Szczecinek Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Szczecinek

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,468

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Szczecinek

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,468 in Szczecinek, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Szczecinek $1,468

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,118 in Szczecinek, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Szczecinek $2,118

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,769 in Szczecinek, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Szczecinek $2,769

Nosara costs about 25% more than Szczecinek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Szczecinek sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Szczecinek by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.62 zł 45.14

6.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$42.81 zł 166

42.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.07 zł 35.22

-17.09%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.48 zł 13.51

26.72%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.16 zł 4.51

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.87 zł 3.38

50.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.10 zł 12.05

5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.37 zł 5.34

226.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.90 zł 3.51

73.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.26 zł 4.89

139.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.36 zł 5.28

84.56%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.53 zł 13.70

1.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.64 zł 29.69

-2.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.98 zł 23.23

75.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.19 zł 51.3

5.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.19 zł 4.64

97.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.13 zł 4.41

42.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.64 zł 6.38

192.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.43 zł 9.44

-33.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.76 zł 2.94

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.80 zł 3.12

361.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.28 zł 4.96

-11.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.68 zł 2.65

291.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.59 zł 21.70

-7.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$7.53 zł 29.26

164.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.12 zł 4.36

158.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.47 zł 5.71

146.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.06 zł 4.13

5.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$27.13 zł 105

167.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.28 zł 8.86

-6.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.04 zł 4.02

50.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$11.56 zł 44.92

-26.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.48 zł 5.77

2.70%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$31.0K zł 120.3K

-30.20%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.8K zł 108.0K

24.15%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$290 zł 1,126

-66.78%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$7.77 zł 30.20

361.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$18.34 zł 71.3

192.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$38.27 zł 149

87.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$20.63 zł 80.2

69.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.59 zł 29.49

3.95%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$206 zł 800

139.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,398 zł 28.7K

60.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$78.3 zł 304

-31.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$36.84 zł 143

50.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$87.3 zł 339

-10.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$108 zł 421

-26.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$559 zł 2,173

40.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$526 zł 2,045

50.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,019 zł 3,959

286.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$850 zł 3,303

66.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,303 zł 12.8K

109.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,012 zł 7,816

-39.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,300 zł 5,049

-33.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.2

105.24%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Szczecinek: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Szczecinek

$526 35.8% 33.8% $268

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Szczecinek

$206 14% 41.6% $146

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Szczecinek

$188 12.8% 11.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Szczecinek

$316 21.5% 70.1% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Szczecinek

$140 9.5% 16.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Szczecinek

$53 3.6% 38.8% $34

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Szczecinek

$39 2.6% 55.4% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $559 in Szczecinek. 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 51% higher in Szczecinek, 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 $43.00 in Szczecinek. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $206 – making Szczecinek the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇱 Szczecinek

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

03:15 3:15 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

39,705

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Szczecinek 9,910 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Szczecinek

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 Szczecinek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,468 in Szczecinek – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,203 in Szczecinek. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 168% less in Szczecinek. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $206 in Szczecinek. 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 Szczecinek, where all-in costs run around $1,468, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Szczecinek 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 $1,468 in Szczecinek 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 Szczecinek. 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.