Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Podgorica and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Podgorica: $1,315 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Podgorica
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Podgorica Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Podgorica

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,315

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Podgorica 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 Podgorica and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,315 per month in Podgorica vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Podgorica $1,315
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,079 per month in Podgorica vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Podgorica $2,079
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,844 per month in Podgorica vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Podgorica $2,844
Nosara $3,712

Podgorica is about 28% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Podgorica sits 2% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.18 €9.98

$12.22 ₡5,509

-8.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.17 €40.31

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-24.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 €9.58

$7.54 ₡3,399

42.31%

Cappuccino

$2.12 €1.89

$4.31 ₡1,941

-50.81%

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

$2.52 €2.25

$1.72 ₡773

46.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.35 ₡608

8.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 €2.73

$3.24 ₡1,459

-5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.94

$4.48 ₡2,018

-26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.57 ₡707

-15.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 €0.91

$3.17 ₡1,429

-67.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.42 ₡1,091

-20.66%

Eggs

$3.61 €3.22

$3.57 ₡1,609

1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 €7.86

$7.43 ₡3,349

18.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 €7.59

$10.42 ₡4,697

-18.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.30 €10.97

$13.66 ₡6,156

-9.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 €1.44

$2.32 ₡1,044

-30.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.61 ₡728

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 €1.62

$4.74 ₡2,138

-61.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.66 ₡747

40.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 €0.88

$3.72 ₡1,679

-73.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 €0.91

$3.57 ₡1,611

-71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.10 ₡497

30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$2.55 ₡1,149

-67.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 €3.95

$4.95 ₡2,232

-10.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €5.10

$20.01 ₡9,020

-71.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$2.79 ₡1,256

-62.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.53

$3.53 ₡1,589

-51.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.19 ₡537

-13.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.52 €29.91

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-53.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 €0.65

$2.24 ₡1,011

-67.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 €0.67

$1.55 ₡701

-51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.39 €10.16

$8.86 ₡3,993

28.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.57 ₡708

21.66%

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

$30.1K €26.8K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

37.93%

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

$26.4K €23.5K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-23.89%

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

$126 €112

$93.5 ₡42.1K

34.90%

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

$19.15 €17.09

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-45.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.45 €28.07

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-38.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.97 €43.70

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-31.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 €12.24

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-61.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 €5.81

$7.84 ₡3,535

-16.96%

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

$336 €300

$490 ₡220.7K

-31.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,417 €6,619

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-37.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.1 €76.8

$53.5 ₡24.1K

60.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.19 €41.22

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-17.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €87.9

$79.3 ₡35.7K

24.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €96.2

$78.9 ₡35.6K

36.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 €571

$786 ₡354.3K

-18.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 €433

$780 ₡351.6K

-37.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 €1,165

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-66.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$989 €883

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-29.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,074 €2,743

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-55.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,329 €2,078

$1,201 ₡541.3K

93.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,158 €1,033

$876 ₡395.0K

32.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.22

8.62

-39.44%

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

Last update for Podgorica: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Podgorica

$485 36.4%

Nosara

$780 43% 60.7% $295

Groceries & Markets

Podgorica

$229 17.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 52.6% $120

Eating Out

Podgorica

$185 13.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 13.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Podgorica

$177 13.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 1.9% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

Podgorica

$152 11.4%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 21% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Podgorica

$62 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 40.5% $25

Getting Around

Podgorica

$42 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 106% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $640 in Podgorica versus $786 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 32% higher in Podgorica, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Podgorica versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $350 – making Podgorica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Podgorica

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:14 5:14 AM

21:14 9:14 PM

8 h behind Podgorica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,799 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Podgorica Nosara 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Podgorica
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

Podgorica vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,315 in Podgorica, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,973 per month in Podgorica and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 115% less in Podgorica. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $336 per month in Podgorica and $490 in Nosara. 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 Podgorica, where all-in costs run around $1,315, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Podgorica 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 $1,315 in Podgorica to $1,837 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 Podgorica. 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.