Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Umea

For one person, living is cheaper in Umea: $1,608 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Umea
Learn more

Umea Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Umea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Umea

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,608 in Umea, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Umea $1,608

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,579 in Umea, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Umea $2,579

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,550 in Umea, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Umea $3,550

Nosara costs about 14% more than Umea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Umea sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Umea by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$15.02 SEK 150

-18.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$79.3 SEK 793

-24.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$12.00 SEK 120

-37.17%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.99 SEK 39.90

8.02%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$3.20 SEK 31.99

-46.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.36 SEK 23.59

-42.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$8.30 SEK 83.0

-60.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$7.40 SEK 74.0

-39.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.63 SEK 16.29

-3.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$3.44 SEK 34.42

-7.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$4.07 SEK 40.68

-40.54%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.90 SEK 38.95

-8.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$11.24 SEK 112

-33.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$10.73 SEK 107

-2.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$17.23 SEK 172

-20.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.46 SEK 24.57

-5.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.26 SEK 22.63

-28.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.82 SEK 28.16

68.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$4.30 SEK 43.00

-61.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.64 SEK 16.35

126.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.66 SEK 16.60

115.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.49 SEK 24.90

-55.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.28 SEK 12.83

99.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$6.89 SEK 68.9

-28.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$9.89 SEK 98.9

102.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.27 SEK 22.66

22.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.44 SEK 24.40

44.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.92 SEK 29.16

-59.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$56.9 SEK 568

26.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$6.80 SEK 68.0

-67.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$5.02 SEK 50.2

-69.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.74 SEK 17.37

-9.77%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$33.0K SEK 330.0K

-33.98%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$33.6K SEK 336.3K

2.94%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$86.0 SEK 860

8.61%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$32.39 SEK 324

8.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$27.15 SEK 271

89.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$48.96 SEK 489

45.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$35.34 SEK 353

0.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$16.17 SEK 162

-51.52%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$137 SEK 1,368

257.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$99.5 SEK 995

-46.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$36.44 SEK 364

53.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$117 SEK 1,166

-32.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$141 SEK 1,405

-43.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$736 SEK 7,357

6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$504 SEK 5,040

54.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,105 SEK 11.0K

249.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$823 SEK 8,227

70.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$4,542 SEK 45.4K

53.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$3,043 SEK 30.4K

-60.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$2,674 SEK 26.7K

-67.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.65

136.16%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Umea: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Umea

$504 30.7% 35.3% $276

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Umea

$350 21.3% 0.1% $0.4

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Umea

$283 17.2% 34.9% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Umea

$146 8.9% 19.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Umea

$177 10.8% 47% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Umea

$81 5% 6.6% $5.8

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Umea

$100 6.1% 15.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $736 in Umea. 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 205% higher in Umea, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $79.0 in Umea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇪 Umea

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

12:25 12:25 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

79,594

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.2 SEK (100 SEK = 8.93 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Umea 9,780 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Umea

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 Umea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,608 in Umea – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,413 in Umea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 27% less in Umea. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $137 in Umea. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Umea, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Umea 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 $1,608 in Umea to $1,837 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 Umea. 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.