Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Zupanja

For one person, living is cheaper in Zupanja: $1,616 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Zupanja
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Zupanja Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Zupanja

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Zupanja

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,616 in Zupanja, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Zupanja $1,616

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,389 in Zupanja, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Zupanja $2,389

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,162 in Zupanja, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Zupanja $3,162

Nosara costs about 14% more than Zupanja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nosara and Zupanja sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Zupanja by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$12.51 €11.13

-1.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$62.1 €55.2

-1.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.20 €7.29

-8.29%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.48 €2.20

77.82%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.99 €2.66

-41.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.59 €2.30

-49.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.37 €3.00

-2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.36 €3.88

2.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.24 €1.10

25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.61 €1.43

87.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.64 €2.35

-4.92%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.02 €3.57

-11.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$14.87 €13.23

-50.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$12.11 €10.77

-13.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$17.62 €15.68

-20.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.22 €1.97

5.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.69 €1.50

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.10 €1.87

128.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.50 €2.22

-35.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.31 €1.16

190.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.17 €1.04

215.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.18 €1.05

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.34 €1.19

98.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.73 €5.09

-9.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.07 €8.96

97.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.65 €1.47

75.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.54 €2.26

42.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.58 €1.40

-29.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$43.75 €38.91

66.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.29 €2.03

-6.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.35 €1.20

16.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$11.56 €10.28

-26.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.92 €1.71

-20.83%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$27.9K €24.9K

-22.66%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.2K €24.2K

26.75%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$217 €193

-55.63%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$23.35 €20.77

53.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$41.03 €36.50

30.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$54.6 €48.53

31.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$14.88 €13.24

134.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.88 €7.90

-11.15%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$500 €445

-1.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$10.1K €8,946

17.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$107 €95.2

-49.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$42.40 €37.71

30.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$95.5 €85.0

-18.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$107 €95.4

-25.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$770 €685

2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$527 €468

50.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,064 €946

270.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$775 €689

83.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,045 €3,598

70.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,278 €2,915

-62.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.3

161.21%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zupanja: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Zupanja

$527 32.6% 33.7% $268

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Zupanja

$316 19.5% 10.4% $36

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Zupanja

$202 12.5% 4.5% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Zupanja

$281 17.4% 51.5% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Zupanja

$158 9.8% 32% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Zupanja

$72 4.5% 17.2% $15

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Zupanja

$59 3.7% 32.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $770 in Zupanja. 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 $62.0 in Zupanja. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $316 in Zupanja – so Zupanja wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇭🇷 Zupanja

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

20:12 8:12 PM

8 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

12,000

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Zupanja 10,320 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Zupanja

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 Zupanja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,616 in Zupanja – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,424 in Zupanja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 66% less in Zupanja. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $500 in Zupanja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zupanja, where all-in costs run around $1,616, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zupanja 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 $1,616 in Zupanja 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 Zupanja. 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.