Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tesanj

For one person, living is cheaper in Tesanj: $880 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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 Tesanj
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Tesanj Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Tesanj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tesanj

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $880 in Tesanj, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Tesanj $880

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,288 in Tesanj, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Tesanj $1,288

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,696 in Tesanj, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Tesanj $1,696

Nosara costs about 109% more than Tesanj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Tesanj is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.38 BAM 5.87

265.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.14 BAM 28.07

279.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.82 BAM 4.91

166.67%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$0.84 BAM 1.46

425.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.39 BAM 2.42

25.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.83 BAM 1.44

57.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.97 BAM 3.42

66.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.70 BAM 2.95

162.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.83 BAM 1.44

87.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.83 BAM 1.44

263.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.47 BAM 4.30

1.62%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.07 BAM 5.34

16.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.03 BAM 17.44

-25.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.09 BAM 12.33

48.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.12 BAM 24.56

-1.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.99 BAM 1.72

137.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.60 BAM 2.79

0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.22 BAM 2.12

293.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.76 BAM 3.06

-8.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.05 BAM 1.82

261.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.09 BAM 1.89

238.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.15 BAM 2.00

-1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.97 BAM 1.69

174.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.79 BAM 6.59

36.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.67 BAM 15.07

129.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.11 BAM 1.94

161.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.33 BAM 2.31

172.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.48 BAM 2.57

-24.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.16 BAM 2.02

84.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.59 BAM 1.03

166.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$10.46 BAM 18.18

-18.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.58 BAM 2.75

-3.80%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$30.2K BAM 52.6K

-28.54%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$22.0K BAM 38.3K

56.68%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$93.1 BAM 162

3.47%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$18.33 BAM 31.87

95.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$28.91 BAM 50.3

85.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$33.13 BAM 57.6

116.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$28.53 BAM 49.62

22.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$2.79 BAM 4.86

182.80%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$135 BAM 235

265.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$3,835 BAM 6,668

209.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$58.2 BAM 101

-7.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$32.70 BAM 56.9

69.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$95.7 BAM 166

-18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$128 BAM 222

-37.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$318 BAM 554

147.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$260 BAM 452

205.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$470 BAM 817

738.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$367 BAM 638

286.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,412 BAM 4,195

186.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,780 BAM 3,096

-31.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$685 BAM 1,191

26.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.3

100.47%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tesanj: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Tesanj

$260 29.5% 67.3% $534

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Tesanj

$222 25.2% 37% $130

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Tesanj

$68 7.7% 68% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Tesanj

$140 15.9% 24.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Tesanj

$142 16.1% 17.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tesanj

$39 4.4% 55.7% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Tesanj

$10 * 1.1% 88.5% $77

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 $318 in Tesanj. 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 26% 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 $16.00 in Tesanj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $222 – making Tesanj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇦 Tesanj

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

07:48 7:48 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

5,500

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, 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).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Tesanj 10,290 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tesanj

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 Tesanj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $880 in Tesanj – roughly 109% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,320 in Tesanj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tesanj, 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 $16.00 in Tesanj. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tesanj, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Tesanj 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 $880 in Tesanj 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 Tesanj. 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.