Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Zagreb

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Zagreb: $1,837 and $1,750 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Zagreb
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Zagreb Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Zagreb

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Zagreb

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,750 in Zagreb, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Zagreb $1,750

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,611 in Zagreb, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Zagreb $2,611

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,472 in Zagreb, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Zagreb $3,472

Nosara costs about 5% more than Zagreb, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nosara and Zagreb sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Zagreb by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$12.46 €11.12

-1.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$63.1 €56.3

-4.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.30 €7.40

-9.16%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.55 €2.27

69.02%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.97 €2.65

-42.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.63 €2.34

-48.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.31 €2.95

-2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$4.50 €4.02

-0.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.28 €1.14

22.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.66 €1.48

90.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.70 €2.41

-10.37%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.00 €3.57

-10.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$15.17 €13.54

-51.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$12.00 €10.71

-13.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$17.64 €15.74

-22.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.31 €2.06

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.72 €1.53

-6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.07 €1.85

128.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.50 €2.23

-33.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.35 €1.21

175.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.18 €1.06

202.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.18 €1.05

-6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.35 €1.20

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$5.91 €5.27

-16.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$10.20 €9.10

96.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.64 €1.46

70.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.57 €2.29

37.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.61 €0.54

95.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$53.3 €47.57

35.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.22 €1.98

0.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.43 €1.28

8.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$12.01 €10.72

-26.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.85 €1.65

-15.14%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$28.4K €25.4K

-23.34%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$27.5K €24.6K

25.81%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$218 €195

-57.20%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$23.68 €21.13

48.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$41.14 €36.71

25.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$50.2 €44.75

42.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$18.69 €16.68

89.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.76 €7.82

-10.50%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$489 €436

0.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$10.0K €8,926

18.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$106 €95.0

-49.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$42.58 €38.00

30.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$96.2 €85.9

-17.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$108 €96.5

-27.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$861 €768

-8.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$652 €582

19.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,459 €1,302

164.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,038 €926

35.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$5,152 €4,598

35.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$3,551 €3,169

-66.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,984 €1,771

-55.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.3

161.21%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Zagreb: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Zagreb

$652 37.3% 16.4% $128

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Zagreb

$318 18.2% 8.9% $31

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Zagreb

$203 11.6% 3% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Zagreb

$283 16.2% 57.3% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Zagreb

$159 9.1% 32.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Zagreb

$68 3.9% 22.3% $19

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Zagreb

$65 3.7% 25% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $861 in Zagreb. 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 126% higher in Zagreb, 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 $63.0 in Zagreb. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $318 in Zagreb – so Zagreb wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇭🇷 Zagreb

🕒 Local time

00:19 12:19 AM

08:19 8:19 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

767,131 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Zagreb 10,100 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Zagreb

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 Zagreb: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,750 in Zagreb – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,625 in Zagreb. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 35% less in Zagreb. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $489 in Zagreb. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Zagreb, where all-in costs run around $1,750, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Zagreb 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 $1,750 in Zagreb 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 Zagreb. 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.