Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Zawiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Zawiya: $441 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Zawiya
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Zawiya Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Zawiya

🇱🇾 Libya

$441

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Zawiya

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $441 in Zawiya, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Zawiya $441

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $685 in Zawiya, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Zawiya $685

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $929 in Zawiya, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Zawiya $929

Nosara costs about 317% more than Zawiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Zawiya is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.39 LYD 15.32

416.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$15.64 LYD 100

291.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.68 LYD 17.16

180.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.45 LYD 2.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 LYD 3.80

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$0.42 LYD 2.68

950.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.41 LYD 2.63

324.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.12 LYD 0.80

991.67%

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

$0.92 LYD 5.90

69.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.20 LYD 1.28

1410.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.98 LYD 6.26

156.12%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.35 LYD 8.65

164.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.65 LYD 29.77

59.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.58 LYD 22.97

193.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.99 LYD 57.6

55.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.94 LYD 12.46

21.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.44 LYD 9.21

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.68 LYD 4.38

605.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.50 LYD 3.18

222.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.62 LYD 3.96

512.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.28 LYD 1.80

1217.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.30 LYD 1.92

276.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.18 LYD 1.18

1377.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.75 LYD 4.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 LYD 4.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 LYD 4.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$1.72 LYD 11.03

201.16%

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

$0.80 LYD 5.13

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$39.03 LYD 250

86.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.76 LYD 4.84

181.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.49 LYD 3.13

220.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.38 LYD 15.25

257.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.02 LYD 0.13

7500.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$15.2K LYD 97.4K

42.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$16.5K LYD 105.4K

109.79%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$94.2 LYD 603

2.25%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$5.59 LYD 35.80

542.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$12.12 LYD 77.7

342.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$16.94 LYD 109

322.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$3.84 LYD 24.61

809.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.78 LYD 24.25

108.73%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$52.5 LYD 337

840.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$879 LYD 5,630

1249.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$20.92 LYD 134

157.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$44.60 LYD 286

24.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$31.29 LYD 200

149.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$30.69 LYD 197

159.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$89.2 LYD 572

783.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$58.3 LYD 373

1262.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$167 LYD 1,072

2253.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$120 LYD 766

1087.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$349 LYD 2,238

1878.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$95.9 LYD 614

1176.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$244 LYD 1,566

253.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zawiya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Zawiya

$58 13.2% 92.7% $736

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Zawiya

$109 24.7% 69.1% $244

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Zawiya

$34 7.8% 83.8% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Zawiya

$112 25.4% 39.8% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Zawiya

$57 13% 52.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Zawiya

$25 5.6% 71.9% $63

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Zawiya

$45 10.3% 47.9% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $89.2 in Zawiya. 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 253% 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 Zawiya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $109 – making Zawiya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇾 Zawiya

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

19:42 7:42 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

318,726

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, 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).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Zawiya 10,180 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Zawiya

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 Zawiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $441 in Zawiya – roughly 317% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $661 in Zawiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 86% less in Zawiya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $52.5 in Zawiya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zawiya, where all-in costs run around $441, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zawiya 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 $441 in Zawiya 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 Zawiya. 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.