Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Szczecinek and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Szczecinek: $1,468 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.

72

Cost of Living Index in Szczecinek
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Szczecinek Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Szczecinek

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,468

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,468 per month in Szczecinek vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Szczecinek $1,468
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,118 per month in Szczecinek vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Szczecinek $2,118
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,769 per month in Szczecinek vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Szczecinek $2,769
Nosara $3,818

Szczecinek is about 20% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Szczecinek and Nosara sit above the global median – Szczecinek by 9%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 zł 45.14

$12.35 ₡5,539

-5.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.81 zł 166

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-30.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 zł 35.22

$7.52 ₡3,373

20.61%

Cappuccino

$3.48 zł 13.51

$4.41 ₡1,978

-21.09%

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

$1.16 zł 4.51

$1.74 ₡780

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 zł 3.38

$1.31 ₡587

-33.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 zł 12.05

$3.28 ₡1,471

-5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 zł 5.34

$4.47 ₡2,004

-69.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 zł 3.51

$1.56 ₡701

-42.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 zł 4.89

$3.02 ₡1,355

-58.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 zł 5.28

$2.51 ₡1,125

-45.82%

Eggs

$3.53 zł 13.70

$3.57 ₡1,603

-1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 zł 29.69

$7.43 ₡3,333

2.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 zł 23.23

$10.52 ₡4,717

-43.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 zł 51.3

$13.97 ₡6,265

-5.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 zł 4.64

$2.35 ₡1,052

-49.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 zł 4.41

$1.61 ₡720

-29.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 zł 6.38

$4.80 ₡2,152

-65.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 zł 9.44

$1.61 ₡724

50.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 zł 2.94

$3.80 ₡1,703

-80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 zł 3.12

$3.69 ₡1,657

-78.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 zł 4.96

$1.13 ₡507

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 zł 2.65

$2.66 ₡1,191

-74.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 zł 21.70

$5.18 ₡2,321

7.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.53 zł 29.26

$19.88 ₡8,916

-62.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 zł 4.36

$2.90 ₡1,300

-61.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 zł 5.71

$3.63 ₡1,626

-59.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 zł 4.13

$1.12 ₡504

-5.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.13 zł 105

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-62.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 zł 8.86

$2.14 ₡958

6.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 zł 4.02

$1.57 ₡703

-33.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.56 zł 44.92

$8.52 ₡3,823

35.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 zł 5.77

$1.52 ₡682

-2.63%

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

$31.0K zł 120.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

43.27%

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

$27.8K zł 108.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.45%

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

$290 zł 1,126

$96.3 ₡43.2K

201.02%

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

$7.77 zł 30.20

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-78.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.34 zł 71.3

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-65.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.27 zł 149

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-46.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.63 zł 80.2

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-40.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.59 zł 29.49

$7.89 ₡3,539

-3.80%

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

$206 zł 800

$494 ₡221.6K

-58.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,398 zł 28.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-37.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 zł 304

$53.9 ₡24.2K

45.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.84 zł 143

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-33.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 zł 339

$77.9 ₡34.9K

11.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 zł 421

$79.6 ₡35.7K

36.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 zł 2,173

$788 ₡353.4K

-29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 zł 2,045

$794 ₡356.2K

-33.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 zł 3,959

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-74.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$850 zł 3,303

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-40.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,303 zł 12.8K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-52.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,012 zł 7,816

$1,224 ₡549.0K

64.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,300 zł 5,049

$864 ₡387.3K

50.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

8.62

-51.28%

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

Last update for Szczecinek: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Szczecinek

$526 35.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 50.9% $268

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Szczecinek

$316 21.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 41.2% $130

Groceries & Markets

Szczecinek

$206 14%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 71.2% $146

Eating Out

Szczecinek

$188 12.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 12.5% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Szczecinek

$140 9.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 14.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Szczecinek

$53 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 63.5% $34

Getting Around

Szczecinek

$39 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 124% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $559 in Szczecinek 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 51% higher in Szczecinek, 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 $43.00 in Szczecinek versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $352 – making Szczecinek the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Szczecinek

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

19:14 7:14 PM

8 h behind Szczecinek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,705

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

Szczecinek Nosara 9,910 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Szczecinek
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

Szczecinek vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,468 in Szczecinek, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,203 per month in Szczecinek 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 Szczecinek, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 168% less in Szczecinek. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $206 per month in Szczecinek 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 Szczecinek, where all-in costs run around $1,468, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Szczecinek 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 $1,468 in Szczecinek 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 Szczecinek. 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.