Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pula and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Pula: $1,577 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Pula
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Pula Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Pula

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,577

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,577 per month in Pula vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Pula $1,577
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,504 per month in Pula vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Pula $2,504
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,432 per month in Pula vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Pula $3,432
Nosara $3,818

Pula is about 14% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Pula and Nosara sit above the global median – Pula by 17%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.57 €13.01

$12.35 ₡5,550

17.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.9

$61.2 ₡27.5K

7.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 €7.94

$7.52 ₡3,379

18.22%

Cappuccino

$2.48 €2.22

$4.41 ₡1,982

-43.76%

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

$2.98 €2.66

$1.74 ₡781

71.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.31 ₡588

61.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 €2.94

$3.28 ₡1,474

0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.88

$4.47 ₡2,008

-2.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.56 ₡702

-24.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 €1.60

$3.02 ₡1,358

-40.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 €2.85

$2.51 ₡1,127

27.49%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.48

$3.57 ₡1,606

9.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 €9.54

$7.43 ₡3,340

43.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.67 €9.53

$10.52 ₡4,727

1.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 €16.50

$13.97 ₡6,277

32.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.35 ₡1,054

-18.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$1.61 ₡721

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$4.80 ₡2,156

-55.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.28

$1.61 ₡725

58.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$3.80 ₡1,706

-65.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$3.69 ₡1,660

-64.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.13 ₡508

15.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$2.66 ₡1,193

-54.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.54 €4.95

$5.18 ₡2,326

6.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 €6.96

$19.88 ₡8,934

-60.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$2.90 ₡1,303

-34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.13

$3.63 ₡1,629

-34.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.12 ₡505

94.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.87 €30.24

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-53.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 €3.01

$2.14 ₡960

57.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.94

$1.57 ₡705

38.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.65 €19.33

$8.52 ₡3,830

154.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.59

$1.52 ₡683

17.11%

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

$26.0K €23.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

20.54%

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

$26.9K €24.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-22.08%

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

$156 €139

$96.3 ₡43.3K

61.56%

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

$22.06 €19.70

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-38.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.22 €35.92

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-24.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.30 €44.03

$71.6 ₡32.2K

-31.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.54 €33.53

$34.91 ₡15.7K

7.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 €9.74

$7.89 ₡3,546

38.28%

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

$237 €212

$494 ₡222.0K

-51.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,769 €2,473

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-76.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €102

$53.9 ₡24.2K

112.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.58 €31.77

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-35.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 €128

$77.9 ₡35.0K

84.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €118

$79.6 ₡35.8K

66.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 €596

$788 ₡354.1K

-15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 €467

$794 ₡356.9K

-34.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,163

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-66.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 €896

$1,419 ₡637.7K

-29.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 €3,854

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-37.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,539 €3,160

$1,224 ₡550.0K

189.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,520 €1,357

$864 ₡388.0K

75.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

8.62

-58.93%

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

Last update for Pula: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pula

$523 33.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 51.8% $271

Groceries & Markets

Pula

$297 18.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 18.6% $55

Eating Out

Pula

$219 13.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 3.1% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pula

$218 13.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 14.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Pula

$192 12.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 37.4% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Pula

$71 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 22.8% $16

Getting Around

Pula

$57 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 53.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $667 in Pula 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.

Salaries run about 76% higher in Pula, 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 $66.0 in Pula versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Pula vs $352 in Nosara – so Pula wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Pula

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

04:17 4:17 AM

8 h behind Pula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,220

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pula Nosara 9,960 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Pula
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

Pula vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,577 in Pula, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,365 per month in Pula and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 114% less in Pula. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $237 per month in Pula and $494 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 Pula, where all-in costs run around $1,577, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pula 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 $1,577 in Pula 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 Pula. 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.