Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suwalki and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Suwalki: $1,460 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Suwalki
Learn more

Suwalki Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Suwalki

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,460

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,460 per month in Suwalki vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Suwalki $1,460
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,030 per month in Suwalki vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Suwalki $2,030
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,599 per month in Suwalki vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Suwalki $2,599
Nosara $3,818

Suwalki is about 21% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Suwalki and Nosara sit above the global median – Suwalki by 8%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.22 zł 20.30

$12.35 ₡5,539

-57.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.41 zł 79.3

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-66.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 zł 35.51

$7.52 ₡3,373

21.54%

Cappuccino

$3.21 zł 12.48

$4.41 ₡1,978

-27.21%

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

$0.88 zł 3.40

$1.74 ₡780

-49.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 zł 8.79

$1.31 ₡587

72.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 zł 18.26

$3.28 ₡1,471

43.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 zł 19.83

$4.47 ₡2,004

14.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 zł 3.72

$1.56 ₡701

-38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 zł 3.51

$3.02 ₡1,355

-70.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 zł 4.16

$2.51 ₡1,125

-57.37%

Eggs

$2.69 zł 10.44

$3.57 ₡1,603

-24.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 zł 30.26

$7.43 ₡3,333

4.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 zł 20.37

$10.52 ₡4,717

-50.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.23 zł 24.21

$13.97 ₡6,265

-55.40%

Apples (1kg)

$0.77 zł 3.01

$2.35 ₡1,052

-67.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 zł 6.46

$1.61 ₡720

3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 zł 6.76

$4.80 ₡2,152

-63.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 zł 15.39

$1.61 ₡724

145.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 zł 2.07

$3.80 ₡1,703

-86.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 zł 3.33

$3.69 ₡1,657

-76.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 zł 4.33

$1.13 ₡507

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 zł 1.43

$2.66 ₡1,191

-86.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 zł 24.21

$5.18 ₡2,321

20.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 zł 24.05

$19.88 ₡8,916

-68.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 zł 4.31

$2.90 ₡1,300

-61.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 zł 6.35

$3.63 ₡1,626

-55.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 zł 4.06

$1.12 ₡504

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.22 zł 117

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-58.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 zł 9.98

$2.14 ₡958

20.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 zł 4.86

$1.57 ₡703

-20.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.84 zł 49.87

$8.52 ₡3,823

50.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 zł 6.90

$1.52 ₡682

17.11%

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

$30.6K zł 118.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

41.57%

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

$30.6K zł 118.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-11.41%

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

$341 zł 1,326

$96.3 ₡43.2K

254.53%

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

$9.21 zł 35.78

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-74.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.89 zł 61.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-70.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.37 zł 149

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-46.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 zł 96.4

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-28.96%

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 zł 34.89

$7.89 ₡3,539

13.81%

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

$588 zł 2,283

$494 ₡221.6K

18.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K zł 56.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

22.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 zł 423

$53.9 ₡24.2K

101.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.37 zł 153

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-28.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 zł 412

$77.9 ₡34.9K

35.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 zł 434

$79.6 ₡35.7K

40.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 zł 2,354

$788 ₡353.4K

-23.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 zł 1,942

$794 ₡356.2K

-37.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 zł 3,891

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-74.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 zł 3,207

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-41.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,067 zł 11.9K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-55.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,388 zł 9,276

$1,224 ₡549.0K

95.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,459 zł 5,669

$864 ₡387.3K

68.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

8.62

-22.51%

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

Last update for Suwalki: 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

Suwalki

$500 34.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 58.9% $295

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suwalki

$366 25.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 49.3% $181

Groceries & Markets

Suwalki

$176 12%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 100% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Suwalki

$165 11.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 27.1% $45

Eating Out

Suwalki

$154 10.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 37.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Suwalki

$56 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 55.1% $31

Getting Around

Suwalki

$43 3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 102% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $606 in Suwalki 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 69% higher in Suwalki, 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 $20.00 in Suwalki versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $352 – making Suwalki the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Suwalki

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:56 3:56 AM

19:56 7:56 PM

8 h behind Suwalki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

69,575

4,912

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 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 PLN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Suwalki Nosara 10,290 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Suwalki
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

Suwalki vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,460 in Suwalki, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,191 per month in Suwalki 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 Suwalki, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 140% less in Suwalki. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $588 per month in Suwalki and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Suwalki, where all-in costs run around $1,460, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Suwalki 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 $1,460 in Suwalki 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 Suwalki. 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.