Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Zakopane

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakopane: $1,490 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. The total is higher in Nosara despite lower rent and utilities.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Zakopane
Learn more

Zakopane Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Zakopane

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Zakopane

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,490 in Zakopane, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Zakopane $1,490

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,250 in Zakopane, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Zakopane $2,250

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,010 in Zakopane, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Zakopane $3,010

Nosara costs about 23% more than Zakopane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Zakopane sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Zakopane by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$8.30 zł 32.25

48.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$28.27 zł 110

116.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.30 zł 32.26

-9.40%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.53 zł 13.70

24.93%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.63 zł 10.21

-33.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.98 zł 7.69

-33.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.45 zł 9.51

33.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.47 zł 17.36

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.98 zł 3.80

59.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.20 zł 4.67

151.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.24 zł 4.81

102.42%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.35 zł 9.14

51.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$6.61 zł 25.67

12.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.01 zł 19.47

109.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$5.24 zł 20.35

166.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.73 zł 2.82

221.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.38 zł 5.37

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.42 zł 5.52

238.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.50 zł 9.73

-35.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.29 zł 1.15

1210.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.89 zł 3.47

314.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.67 zł 2.59

68.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.59 zł 2.29

350.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.27 zł 16.59

21.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.67 zł 18.16

325.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.04 zł 4.04

178.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.55 zł 6.04

134.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.26 zł 4.89

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$43.21 zł 168

68.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.52 zł 5.90

40.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.73 zł 2.85

115.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.05 zł 19.60

68.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.60 zł 6.20

-5.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$31.0K zł 120.6K

-30.40%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$23.7K zł 92.2K

45.48%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$244 zł 949

-60.58%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$7.80 zł 30.30

360.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$17.08 zł 66.3

213.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$8.84 zł 34.35

709.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$13.61 zł 52.9

156.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$7.32 zł 28.43

7.79%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$310 zł 1,205

59.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,254 zł 8,759

426.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$53.9 zł 210

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$18.93 zł 73.6

192.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$50.3 zł 195

54.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$46.60 zł 181

70.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$727 zł 2,823

8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$737 zł 2,864

7.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,278 zł 4,966

208.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,547 zł 6,010

-8.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$5,876 zł 22.8K

17.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$5,888 zł 22.9K

-79.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,568 zł 6,091

-44.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.5

32.62%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zakopane: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Zakopane

$737 49.5% 7.2% $57

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Zakopane

$157 10.5% 55.4% $195

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Zakopane

$173 11.6% 18.2% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Zakopane

$269 18.1% 44.9% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Zakopane

$76 5.1% 36.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Zakopane

$23 1.6% 73.1% $64

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Zakopane

$53 3.6% 38.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $727 in Zakopane. 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 82% higher in Zakopane, 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 $28.00 in Zakopane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $157 – making Zakopane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇱 Zakopane

🕒 Local time

18:52 6:52 PM

02:52 2:52 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

26,662

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Zakopane 10,270 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Zakopane

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 Zakopane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,490 in Zakopane – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,235 in Zakopane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 68% less in Zakopane. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $310 in Zakopane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zakopane, where all-in costs run around $1,490, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zakopane 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 $1,490 in Zakopane 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 Zakopane. 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.