Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostersund and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ostersund: $1,729 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ostersund
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,729
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ostersund and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ostersund and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,729 per month in Ostersund vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ostersund $1,729
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,687 per month in Ostersund vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ostersund $2,687
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,644 per month in Ostersund vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ostersund $3,644
  • Nosara $3,818

Ostersund is about 6% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ostersund and Nosara sit above the global median – Ostersund by 28%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ostersund
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.35 SEK 132
$12.35 ₡5,539
8.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.1 SEK 744
$61.2 ₡27.4K
22.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.07 SEK 99.8
$7.52 ₡3,373
33.91%
Cappuccino
$4.53 SEK 44.86
$4.41 ₡1,978
2.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56 SEK 25.38
$1.74 ₡780
47.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 SEK 21.42
$1.31 ₡587
64.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.03 SEK 69.7
$3.28 ₡1,471
114.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.97 SEK 69.0
$4.47 ₡2,004
55.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ostersund
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 SEK 14.16
$1.56 ₡701
-8.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 SEK 29.16
$3.02 ₡1,355
-2.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.58 SEK 45.43
$2.51 ₡1,125
82.47%
Eggs
$3.22 SEK 31.91
$3.57 ₡1,603
-9.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.29 SEK 132
$7.43 ₡3,333
78.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.28 SEK 112
$10.52 ₡4,717
7.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.94 SEK 148
$13.97 ₡6,265
6.94%
Apples (1kg)
$4.11 SEK 40.73
$2.35 ₡1,052
74.89%
Banana (1kg)
$2.77 SEK 27.49
$1.61 ₡720
72.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.53 SEK 34.95
$4.80 ₡2,152
-26.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.87 SEK 38.37
$1.61 ₡724
140.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 SEK 15.96
$3.80 ₡1,703
-57.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 SEK 15.38
$3.69 ₡1,657
-57.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 SEK 21.82
$1.13 ₡507
94.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 SEK 13.87
$2.66 ₡1,191
-47.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.85 SEK 77.8
$5.18 ₡2,321
51.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.11 SEK 100
$19.88 ₡8,916
-49.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 SEK 19.38
$2.90 ₡1,300
-32.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 SEK 21.91
$3.63 ₡1,626
-39.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Ostersund
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.33 SEK 32.96
$1.12 ₡504
197.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 SEK 758
$72.6 ₡32.6K
5.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.85 SEK 57.9
$2.14 ₡958
173.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.70 SEK 16.80
$1.57 ₡703
8.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$58.8 SEK 583
$8.52 ₡3,823
590.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 SEK 17.94
$1.52 ₡682
19.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.3K SEK 329.5K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
53.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.1K SEK 317.8K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-7.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ostersund
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 SEK 1,031
$96.3 ₡43.2K
8.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.74 SEK 235
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-33.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.74 SEK 384
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-27.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ostersund
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.10 SEK 368
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-48.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.47 SEK 262
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-24.18%
Cinema Ticket
$14.80 SEK 147
$7.89 ₡3,539
87.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ostersund
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$124 SEK 1,231
$494 ₡221.6K
-74.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,033 SEK 49.9K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-57.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ostersund
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.7 SEK 909
$53.9 ₡24.2K
70.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.11 SEK 397
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-27.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.3 SEK 905
$77.9 ₡34.9K
17.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$138 SEK 1,366
$79.6 ₡35.7K
73.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ostersund
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$803 SEK 7,957
$788 ₡353.4K
1.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 SEK 6,094
$794 ₡356.2K
-22.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,324 SEK 13.1K
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-66.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,013 SEK 10.0K
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-28.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,940 SEK 39.0K
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-43.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,776 SEK 27.5K
$1,224 ₡549.0K
126.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ostersund
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.45
8.62
-59.98%

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

Last update for Ostersund: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ostersund
$615
Nosara
$794 29.1% $179
Groceries & Markets
Ostersund
$355
Nosara
$352 0.7% $2.4
Eating Out
Ostersund
$259
Nosara
$212 18.3% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ostersund
$167
Nosara
$186 11.5% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Ostersund
$162
Nosara
$120 26.1% $42
Getting Around
Ostersund
$104
Nosara
$87 16.3% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Ostersund
$67
Nosara
$87 31% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $803 in Ostersund versus $788 in Nosara. 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 $75.0 in Ostersund versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Ostersund
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
02:34 2:34 AM
18:34 6:34 PM
8 h behind Ostersund
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,000
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ostersund Nosara 9,530 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ostersund
  • Nosara

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
Ostersund vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ostersund and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,729 in Ostersund, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Ostersund compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,593 per month in Ostersund and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ostersund and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ostersund, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Ostersund and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 5% less in Ostersund. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ostersund and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $124 per month in Ostersund and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ostersund, where all-in costs run around $1,729, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Ostersund it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Ostersund and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,729 in Ostersund to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Ostersund or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Ostersund and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Ostersund. 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.

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