Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pogradec and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Pogradec: $816 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Pogradec
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Pogradec Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Pogradec

🇦🇱 Albania

$816

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $816 per month in Pogradec vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Pogradec $816
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Pogradec vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Pogradec $1,350
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $1,884 per month in Pogradec vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Pogradec $1,884
Nosara $3,814

Pogradec is about 56% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Pogradec sits 40% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.82 ALL 791

$12.34 ₡5,535

-20.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.52 ALL 3,183

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-35.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 ALL 610

$7.76 ₡3,481

-2.45%

Cappuccino

$1.52 ALL 123

$4.44 ₡1,992

-65.77%

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

$1.78 ALL 143

$1.79 ₡803

-0.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ALL 52.0

$1.29 ₡580

-49.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ALL 122

$3.24 ₡1,451

-53.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ALL 221

$4.43 ₡1,985

-37.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ALL 160

$1.55 ₡696

27.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ALL 78.1

$3.08 ₡1,380

-68.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ALL 166

$2.53 ₡1,133

-18.58%

Eggs

$2.20 ALL 177

$3.45 ₡1,546

-36.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 ALL 644

$7.32 ₡3,284

9.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 ALL 355

$10.24 ₡4,594

-56.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ALL 1,125

$14.10 ₡6,326

-0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 ALL 98.5

$2.29 ₡1,027

-46.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ALL 181

$1.64 ₡737

37.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ALL 123

$4.79 ₡2,149

-68.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ALL 102

$1.64 ₡735

-23.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ALL 75.8

$3.85 ₡1,727

-75.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ALL 83.2

$3.75 ₡1,681

-72.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ALL 83.6

$1.09 ₡488

-4.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ALL 62.8

$2.59 ₡1,160

-69.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ALL 343

$5.12 ₡2,295

-16.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 ALL 643

$19.92 ₡8,931

-59.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ALL 98.0

$2.80 ₡1,255

-56.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ALL 151

$3.52 ₡1,580

-46.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ALL 40.63

$1.22 ₡549

-59.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.68 ALL 1,504

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-74.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 ALL 300

$2.17 ₡973

71.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 ALL 147

$1.56 ₡698

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.74 ALL 1,509

$8.67 ₡3,886

116.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 ALL 181

$1.55 ₡697

45.16%

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

$34.0K ALL 2.7M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-1.53%

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

$24.5K ALL 2.0M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-36.73%

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

$61.0 ALL 4,913

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-35.66%

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

$16.58 ALL 1,335

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-54.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.22 ALL 1,387

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-67.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.88 ALL 2,889

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-51.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 ALL 1,504

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-47.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.43 ALL 679

$7.91 ₡3,548

6.57%

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

$98.2 ALL 7,910

$490 ₡219.9K

-79.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.70 ALL 4,002

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-9.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 ALL 4,523

$55.9 ₡25.1K

0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 ALL 7,916

$80.4 ₡36.0K

22.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 ALL 12.1K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

92.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$185 ALL 14.9K

$801 ₡359.1K

-76.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 ALL 9,902

$790 ₡354.1K

-84.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 ALL 29.8K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-90.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 ALL 20.0K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-82.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,597 ALL 128.6K

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-77.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ALL 118.2K

$1,236 ₡554.3K

18.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$476 ALL 38.4K

$887 ₡397.6K

-46.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.00%

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

Last update for Pogradec: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pogradec

$211 25.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 66% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Pogradec

$159 19.5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 24.1% $38

Eating Out

Pogradec

$142 17.4%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 49.5% $70

Accommodation & Living

Pogradec

$123 15.1%

Nosara

$790 43% 542% $667

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pogradec

$95 11.6%

Nosara

$184 10% 94.1% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Pogradec

$53 6.5%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 69.9% $37

Getting Around

Pogradec

$34 4.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 165% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $185 in Pogradec versus $801 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 86% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Pogradec versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $350 – making Pogradec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Pogradec

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:45 11:45 PM

15:45 3:45 PM

8 h behind Pogradec

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,848

4,912

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇱 Albanian Lek (L)

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ALL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pogradec Nosara 10,620 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Pogradec
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

Pogradec vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $816 in Pogradec, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 125% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,225 per month in Pogradec and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 296% less in Pogradec. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $98.2 per month in Pogradec and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pogradec, where all-in costs run around $816, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Pogradec 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 $816 in Pogradec to $1,835 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 Pogradec. 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.