Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Zepce

For one person, living is cheaper in Zepce: $1,095 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Zepce
Learn more

Zepce Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Zepce

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$1,095

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Zepce

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,095 in Zepce, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Zepce $1,095

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,585 in Zepce, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Zepce $1,585

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,076 in Zepce, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Zepce $2,076

Nosara costs about 68% more than Zepce, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Zepce is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$9.64 BAM 16.76

28.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$29.10 BAM 50.6

110.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.03 BAM 19.17

-31.82%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.80 BAM 3.13

145.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.57 BAM 4.48

-32.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.61 BAM 2.79

-18.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.49 BAM 4.33

31.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.44 BAM 5.98

29.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.38 BAM 2.39

13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.17 BAM 2.04

158.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.57 BAM 2.74

59.87%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.85 BAM 4.96

25.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.36 BAM 16.27

-20.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$8.61 BAM 14.98

22.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.67 BAM 23.77

2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.86 BAM 3.23

26.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.98 BAM 3.44

-18.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.23 BAM 3.89

115.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.13 BAM 3.70

-24.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.02 BAM 1.78

272.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.41 BAM 2.45

161.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.12 BAM 1.95

0.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.91 BAM 1.58

192.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.91 BAM 6.81

32.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.13 BAM 14.15

144.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.01 BAM 1.76

187.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.39 BAM 2.41

161.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.29 BAM 2.24

-13.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.70 BAM 2.95

25.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.16 BAM 2.02

35.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$17.17 BAM 29.86

-50.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.76 BAM 3.06

-13.64%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$30.0K BAM 52.2K

-27.97%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.1K BAM 36.6K

63.93%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$158 BAM 275

-39.05%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$16.53 BAM 28.75

117.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$36.87 BAM 64.1

45.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$32.30 BAM 56.2

121.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$11.57 BAM 20.12

201.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$2.89 BAM 5.03

173.01%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$294 BAM 511

68.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$3,518 BAM 6,117

237.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$83.8 BAM 146

-35.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$35.52 BAM 61.8

56.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$104 BAM 181

-25.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$142 BAM 247

-43.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$304 BAM 528

159.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$259 BAM 450

206.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$480 BAM 835

720.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$323 BAM 561

339.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,764 BAM 4,807

150.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,856 BAM 3,228

-34.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.44

94.14%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zepce: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Zepce

$259 23.7% 67.4% $535

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Zepce

$242 22.1% 31.4% $111

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Zepce

$168 15.3% 20.8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Zepce

$211 19.3% 13.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Zepce

$164 15% 36.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Zepce

$38 3.5% 56.4% $49

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Zepce

$13 * 1.2% 85.5% $74

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $304 in Zepce. 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 $29.00 in Zepce. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $242 – making Zepce the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇦 Zepce

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

07:51 7:51 AM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

7,500

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, 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).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Zepce 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Zepce

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 Zepce: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,095 in Zepce – roughly 68% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,642 in Zepce. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $29.00 in Zepce. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zepce, where all-in costs run around $1,095, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zepce 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 $1,095 in Zepce 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 Zepce. 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.