Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Zell am see

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,307 in Zell am see, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Zell am see
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Zell am see Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Zell am see

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Zell am see

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 Zell am see actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,307 in Zell am see, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Zell am see $2,307

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,305 in Zell am see, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Zell am see $3,305

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,304 in Zell am see, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Zell am see $4,304

Nosara is about 20% cheaper than Zell am see, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Zell am see sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Zell am see by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$16.93 €15.06

-27.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$84.3 €75.0

-27.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.06 €8.94

-25.25%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.35 €3.87

1.38%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.53 €3.14

-50.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.84 €2.53

-53.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.45 €4.85

-39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.33 €4.74

-16.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.67 €1.48

-6.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.38 €2.12

26.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.39 €2.13

5.02%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.68 €4.16

-23.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$22.25 €19.79

-66.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$12.68 €11.28

-17.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$21.27 €18.92

-34.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.90 €2.58

-18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.52 €2.24

-36.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.29 €2.93

45.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.12 €3.66

-60.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.48 €2.20

53.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.19 €2.84

15.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.14 €1.90

-47.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.28 €1.14

107.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$7.65 €6.81

-32.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.71 €7.74

128.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.31 €1.16

121.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.20 €1.96

65.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.84 €2.53

-60.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$47.40 €42.16

53.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.92 €2.59

-26.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.86 €0.76

82.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$30.62 €27.24

-72.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.75 €1.56

-13.14%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$30.5K €27.1K

-29.11%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.1K €26.8K

14.64%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$341 €304

-71.80%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.66 €13.93

129.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$38.35 €34.11

39.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$42.40 €37.72

68.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$22.63 €20.13

54.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$15.52 €13.81

-49.16%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$454 €404

8.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$15.7K €14.0K

-24.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$82.2 €73.1

-34.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$58.6 €52.1

-5.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$109 €97.3

-28.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$128 €114

-37.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$928 €825

-15.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$928 €826

-14.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,645 €1,464

139.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,293 €1,150

9.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$7,702 €6,851

-10.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$6,040 €5,372

-79.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.5

146.29%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zell am see: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Zell am see

$928 40.3% 16.9% $134

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Zell am see

$392 17% 11.3% $40

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Zell am see

$281 12.2% 32.7% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Zell am see

$395 17.2% 113% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Zell am see

$170 7.4% 41.6% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Zell am see

$73 3.2% 15.9% $14

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Zell am see

$66 2.9% 24.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $928 in Zell am see. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $84.0 in Zell am see. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $392 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇹 Zell am see

🕒 Local time

22:21 10:21 PM

06:21 6:21 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

10,131

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Zell am see 9,820 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Zell am see

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 Zell am see: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,307 in Zell am see – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,460 in Zell am see. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 53% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $454 in Zell am see. 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 Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Zell am see at $2,307. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zell am see 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $2,307 in Zell am see. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zell am see makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.