Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sala and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sala: $1,530 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Sala
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Sala Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Sala

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,530

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,530 per month in Sala vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Sala $1,530
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,260 per month in Sala vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Sala $2,260
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,989 per month in Sala vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Sala $2,989
Nosara $3,818

Sala is about 17% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sala and Nosara sit above the global median – Sala by 13%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.75 SEK 116

$12.35 ₡5,539

-4.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 SEK 581

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-4.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 SEK 93.6

$7.52 ₡3,373

25.66%

Cappuccino

$3.17 SEK 31.39

$4.41 ₡1,978

-28.12%

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

$1.75 SEK 17.38

$1.74 ₡780

0.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 21.35

$1.31 ₡587

64.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 SEK 68.7

$3.28 ₡1,471

111.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 SEK 68.7

$4.47 ₡2,004

55.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 SEK 16.45

$1.56 ₡701

6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 SEK 25.16

$3.02 ₡1,355

-15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 34.45

$2.51 ₡1,125

38.65%

Eggs

$5.29 SEK 52.5

$3.57 ₡1,603

48.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 SEK 110

$7.43 ₡3,333

49.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.95 SEK 128

$10.52 ₡4,717

23.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.02 SEK 218

$13.97 ₡6,265

57.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 SEK 28.42

$2.35 ₡1,052

22.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 SEK 26.39

$1.61 ₡720

65.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 SEK 25.65

$4.80 ₡2,152

-46.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 SEK 47.50

$1.61 ₡724

197.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 SEK 14.46

$3.80 ₡1,703

-61.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 SEK 11.29

$3.69 ₡1,657

-69.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 25.51

$1.13 ₡507

127.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 SEK 10.02

$2.66 ₡1,191

-62.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 SEK 68.2

$5.18 ₡2,321

32.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 SEK 60.5

$19.88 ₡8,916

-69.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 SEK 18.76

$2.90 ₡1,300

-34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SEK 17.47

$3.63 ₡1,626

-51.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.90 SEK 28.75

$1.12 ₡504

158.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 SEK 210

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-70.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 SEK 58.5

$2.14 ₡958

175.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 SEK 16.73

$1.57 ₡703

7.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.0 SEK 782

$8.52 ₡3,823

826.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.13

$1.52 ₡682

13.82%

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

$32.5K SEK 322.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

50.54%

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

$33.1K SEK 327.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-4.13%

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

$177 SEK 1,752

$96.3 ₡43.2K

83.60%

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

$19.96 SEK 198

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-44.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.76 SEK 384

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-27.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.97 SEK 456

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-35.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.24 SEK 201

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-42.02%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 SEK 160

$7.89 ₡3,539

104.44%

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

$213 SEK 2,111

$494 ₡221.6K

-56.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,194 SEK 11.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-89.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.45 SEK 440

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-17.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.80 SEK 345

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-37.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 SEK 514

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-33.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.0 SEK 535

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-32.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 SEK 6,989

$788 ₡353.4K

-10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 SEK 4,966

$794 ₡356.2K

-36.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 SEK 9,217

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-76.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 SEK 6,782

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-51.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,018 SEK 39.8K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-41.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,838 SEK 28.1K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

131.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,422 SEK 24.0K

$864 ₡387.3K

180.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

8.62

-67.52%

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

Last update for Sala: 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

Sala

$501 32.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 58.5% $293

Groceries & Markets

Sala

$360 23.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 2.2% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sala

$236 15.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 21.1% $50

Eating Out

Sala

$225 14.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 5.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Sala

$83 5.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 44.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Sala

$78 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 11.7% $9.1

Getting Around

Sala

$47 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 84.8% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Sala 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 181% higher in Sala, 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 $59.0 in Sala versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $360 in Sala vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Sala

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

04:16 4:16 AM

8 h behind Sala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,994

4,912

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sala Nosara 9,720 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sala
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

Sala vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,530 in Sala, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,295 per month in Sala 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 Sala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 243% less in Sala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $213 per month in Sala and $494 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 Sala, where all-in costs run around $1,530, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sala 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 $1,530 in Sala 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 Sala. 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.