Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Zabol

For one person, living is cheaper in Zabol: $515 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Zabol
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Zabol Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Zabol

🇮🇷 Iran

$515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Zabol

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $515 in Zabol, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Zabol $515

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $817 in Zabol, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Zabol $817

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,118 in Zabol, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Zabol $1,118

Nosara costs about 257% more than Zabol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Zabol is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.04 $2.04

505.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.63 $16.63

267.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$3.63 $3.63

107.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 $0.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 $1.12

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$0.48 $0.48

818.75%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.49 $0.49

255.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.09 $1.09

20.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.65 $0.65

140.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.48 $0.48

529.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.22 $2.22

13.06%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.34 $1.34

166.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.20 $4.20

76.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.62 $3.62

190.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$9.08 $9.08

53.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.91 $0.91

158.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.47 $1.47

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.88 $0.88

445.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.65 $0.65

147.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.63 $0.63

503.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.43 $0.43

758.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.50 $0.50

126.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.22 $0.22

1109.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.87 $0.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 $0.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.43 $2.43

113.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.16 $0.16

600.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$8.88 $8.88

718.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.46 $0.46

365.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.27 $0.27

481.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.49 $2.49

242.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.10 $0.10

1420.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$49.5K $49.5K

-56.35%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$46.9K $46.9K

-26.44%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$12.14 $12.14

693.16%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$1.47 $1.47

2341.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$3.72 $3.72

1340.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$20.56 $20.56

248.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$13.63 $13.63

156.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$1.72 $1.72

358.72%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$112 $112

341.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,137 $2,137

454.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$24.88 $24.88

116.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$25.02 $25.02

121.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$106 $106

-26.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$74.0 $74.0

7.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$291 $291

171.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$209 $209

280.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$809 $809

386.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$354 $354

300.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,142 $1,142

505.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$546 $546

124.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$151 $151

473.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

24.3

-64.53%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zabol: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Zabol

$209 40.5% 73.7% $586

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Zabol

$111 21.5% 68.5% $241

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Zabol

$39 7.6% 81.5% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Zabol

$17 3.4% 90.7% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Zabol

$104 20.1% 13.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Zabol

$24 4.7% 72.5% $63

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Zabol

$11 2.2% 87% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $291 in Zabol. 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 473% 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 $17.00 in Zabol. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $111 – making Zabol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇷 Zabol

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

17:38 5:38 PM

9 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

140,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Zabol 14,270 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Zabol

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 Zabol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $515 in Zabol – roughly 257% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $773 in Zabol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 718% less in Zabol. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $112 in Zabol. 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 Zabol, where all-in costs run around $515, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zabol 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 $515 in Zabol 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 Zabol. 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.