Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,548 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Stockholm
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,548
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,548 per month in Stockholm vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Stockholm $2,548
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,806 per month in Stockholm vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Stockholm $3,806
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,064 per month in Stockholm vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Stockholm $5,064
  • Nosara $3,712

Stockholm costs about 39% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Stockholm and Nosara sit above the global median – Stockholm by 90%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Stockholm
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.26 SEK 182
$12.22 ₡5,509
49.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$97.8 SEK 978
$60.2 ₡27.1K
62.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.71 SEK 117
$7.54 ₡3,399
55.31%
Cappuccino
$4.89 SEK 48.92
$4.31 ₡1,941
13.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 SEK 37.15
$1.72 ₡773
116.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 SEK 30.29
$1.35 ₡608
124.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.16 SEK 81.5
$3.24 ₡1,459
151.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.96 SEK 89.5
$4.48 ₡2,018
100.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Stockholm
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 SEK 18.05
$1.57 ₡707
15.29%
White Bread (500g)
$3.84 SEK 38.41
$3.17 ₡1,429
21.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.75 SEK 37.52
$2.42 ₡1,091
54.96%
Eggs
$5.04 SEK 50.4
$3.57 ₡1,609
41.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 SEK 129
$7.43 ₡3,349
73.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.70 SEK 127
$10.42 ₡4,697
21.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.70 SEK 217
$13.66 ₡6,156
58.86%
Apples (1kg)
$3.61 SEK 36.03
$2.32 ₡1,044
55.60%
Banana (1kg)
$2.80 SEK 27.97
$1.61 ₡728
73.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.14 SEK 31.36
$4.74 ₡2,138
-33.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.36 SEK 43.52
$1.66 ₡747
162.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 SEK 16.99
$3.72 ₡1,679
-54.30%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 SEK 17.83
$3.57 ₡1,611
-50.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.51 SEK 25.06
$1.10 ₡497
128.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 SEK 24.33
$2.55 ₡1,149
-4.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.52 SEK 85.1
$4.95 ₡2,232
72.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.83 SEK 118
$20.01 ₡9,020
-40.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 SEK 20.29
$2.79 ₡1,256
-27.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 SEK 25.49
$3.53 ₡1,589
-27.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Stockholm
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.31 SEK 43.11
$1.19 ₡537
262.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 SEK 1,059
$72.1 ₡32.5K
47.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.83 SEK 58.3
$2.24 ₡1,011
160.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 SEK 15.09
$1.55 ₡701
-2.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.0 SEK 560
$8.86 ₡3,993
532.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 SEK 17.90
$1.57 ₡708
14.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.3K SEK 332.8K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
52.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K SEK 340.4K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-1.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stockholm
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$248 SEK 2,479
$93.5 ₡42.1K
165.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.17 SEK 212
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-39.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.91 SEK 399
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-22.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Stockholm
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.51 SEK 475
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-33.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$38.80 SEK 388
$35.44 ₡16.0K
9.48%
Cinema Ticket
$19.19 SEK 192
$7.84 ₡3,535
144.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Stockholm
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$159 SEK 1,585
$490 ₡220.7K
-67.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.4K SEK 163.7K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
37.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Stockholm
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$112 SEK 1,119
$53.5 ₡24.1K
109.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.4 SEK 574
$55.8 ₡25.1K
2.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$134 SEK 1,340
$79.3 ₡35.7K
69.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$181 SEK 1,809
$78.9 ₡35.6K
129.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Stockholm
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,694 SEK 16.9K
$786 ₡354.3K
115.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,088 SEK 10.9K
$780 ₡351.6K
39.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,985 SEK 29.8K
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-22.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,782 SEK 17.8K
$1,407 ₡634.4K
26.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$11.1K SEK 111.4K
$6,972 ₡3.1M
59.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,326 SEK 63.2K
$1,201 ₡541.3K
426.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Stockholm
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,501 SEK 35.0K
$876 ₡395.0K
299.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.37
8.62
-60.90%

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

Last update for Stockholm: 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
Stockholm
$1.1K
Nosara
$780 28.3% $308
Groceries & Markets
Stockholm
$415
Nosara
$350 15.8% $65
Eating Out
Stockholm
$326
Nosara
$209 35.7% $116
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stockholm
$309
Nosara
$180 41.8% $129
Clothing & Footwear
Stockholm
$218
Nosara
$120 44.8% $98
Getting Around
Stockholm
$137
Nosara
$87 36.4% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Stockholm
$86
Nosara
$87 1.4% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,694 in Stockholm 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 300% higher in Stockholm, 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 $98.0 in Stockholm versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Stockholm
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
14:27 2:27 PM
06:27 6:27 AM
8 h behind Stockholm
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
984,748 Capital
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.2 SEK (100 SEK = 8.93 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Stockholm Nosara 9,820 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Stockholm
  • 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
Stockholm vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Stockholm and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,548 in Stockholm, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Stockholm compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,821 per month in Stockholm and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Stockholm and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, 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 Stockholm and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 47% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Stockholm and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $159 per month in Stockholm and $490 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 $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Stockholm at $2,548. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Stockholm and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Stockholm has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $2,548 in Stockholm. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Stockholm 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 Stockholm and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stockholm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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