Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Zgharta

For one person, living is cheaper in Zgharta: $1,002 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Zgharta
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Zgharta Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Zgharta

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,002

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Zgharta

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,002 in Zgharta, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Zgharta $1,002

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,605 in Zgharta, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Zgharta $1,605

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,208 in Zgharta, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Zgharta $2,208

Nosara costs about 84% more than Zgharta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Zgharta is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.76 LBP 1.1M

5.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$69.5 LBP 6.2M

-11.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.90 LBP 885.6K

-24.04%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.66 LBP 417.0K

-5.36%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.31 LBP 206.7K

-24.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.91 LBP 81.2K

43.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.09 LBP 456.0K

-35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.64 LBP 415.4K

-3.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.00 LBP 179.3K

-22.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.91 LBP 81.1K

231.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.26 LBP 202.2K

11.06%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.60 LBP 322.5K

-0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.20 LBP 1.0M

-33.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$10.47 LBP 937.4K

0.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.77 LBP 1.3M

-5.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.09 LBP 276.2K

-23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.71 LBP 152.9K

-5.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.63 LBP 145.5K

194.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.46 LBP 130.8K

10.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.20 LBP 107.6K

216.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.62 LBP 144.6K

127.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.16 LBP 103.9K

-2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.71 LBP 63.7K

274.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.92 LBP 261.4K

77.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.16 LBP 998.9K

78.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.28 LBP 114.2K

126.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.57 LBP 230.1K

41.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.89 LBP 437.8K

-56.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.27 LBP 202.8K

-30.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$22.53 LBP 2.0M

-62.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.04 LBP 93.3K

46.15%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$54.0K LBP 4.8B

-59.95%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.7K LBP 2.9B

5.69%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$234 LBP 20.9M

-58.86%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$22.49 LBP 2.0M

59.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$37.90 LBP 3.4M

41.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$9.86 LBP 882.2K

-19.98%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$679 LBP 60.8M

-27.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.5K LBP 937.2M

13.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$66.6 LBP 6.0M

-18.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$49.64 LBP 4.4M

11.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$138 LBP 12.4M

-43.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$119 LBP 10.6M

-32.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-21.64%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zgharta: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Zgharta

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Zgharta

$276 27.6% 21.6% $76

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Zgharta

$227 22.7% 7.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Zgharta

$294 29.4% 58.5% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Zgharta

$168 16.8% 39.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Zgharta

$20 * 2% 77.4% $68

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Zgharta

$16 * 1.6% 81.4% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $69.0 in Zgharta. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $276 in Zgharta – so Zgharta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇧 Zgharta

🕒 Local time

22:51 10:51 PM

07:51 7:51 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,618 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Zgharta 12,130 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Zgharta

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 Zgharta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,002 in Zgharta – roughly 84% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,503 in Zgharta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $69.0 in Zgharta. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zgharta, where all-in costs run around $1,002, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zgharta 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 $1,002 in Zgharta 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 Zgharta. 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.