Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zabbar and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Zabbar and in Nosara: $1,847 and $1,839 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Zabbar
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Zabbar Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Zabbar

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,847

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,847 per month in Zabbar vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Zabbar $1,847
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,659 per month in Zabbar vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Zabbar $2,659
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,472 per month in Zabbar vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Zabbar $3,472
Nosara $3,818

Zabbar and Nosara have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Zabbar and Nosara sit above the global median – Zabbar by 37%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €15.18

$12.35 ₡5,539

38.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.38 €34.14

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-37.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 €6.81

$7.52 ₡3,373

1.86%

Cappuccino

$2.68 €2.39

$4.41 ₡1,978

-39.23%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$1.74 ₡780

31.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.62

$1.31 ₡587

-46.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.28 ₡1,471

-31.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 €3.93

$4.47 ₡2,004

-1.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.56 ₡701

-26.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 €0.51

$3.02 ₡1,355

-81.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 €1.01

$2.51 ₡1,125

-54.58%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.48

$3.57 ₡1,603

9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.69 €5.06

$7.43 ₡3,333

-23.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 €3.89

$10.52 ₡4,717

-58.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 €8.96

$13.97 ₡6,265

-27.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 €3.80

$2.35 ₡1,052

81.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$1.61 ₡720

69.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 €3.16

$4.80 ₡2,152

-26.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 €3.01

$1.61 ₡724

109.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$3.80 ₡1,703

-33.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$3.69 ₡1,657

-46.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.13 ₡507

95.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.02

$2.66 ₡1,191

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.52 €5.80

$5.18 ₡2,321

25.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 €7.07

$19.88 ₡8,916

-60.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.90 ₡1,300

-42.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.13

$3.63 ₡1,626

-33.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 €2.25

$1.12 ₡504

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.81 €14.95

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-76.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 €4.79

$2.14 ₡958

151.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 €1.97

$1.57 ₡703

41.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 €23.57

$8.52 ₡3,823

210.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.52 ₡682

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

$37.1K €33.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

71.70%

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

$38.7K €34.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

12.09%

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

$103 €91.9

$96.3 ₡43.2K

7.30%

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

$25.52 €22.70

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-28.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.11 €37.46

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-21.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 €55.3

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-13.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.03 €9.81

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-68.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 €9.05

$7.89 ₡3,539

28.90%

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

$359 €320

$494 ₡221.6K

-27.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,249 €2,001

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-81.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.0

$53.9 ₡24.2K

60.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.20 €36.65

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-25.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 €86.8

$77.9 ₡34.9K

25.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 €70.1

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €997

$788 ₡353.4K

42.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 €846

$794 ₡356.2K

19.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 €1,590

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-54.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,324

$1,419 ₡636.5K

4.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,086 €3,635

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-40.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,051 €3,603

$1,224 ₡549.0K

230.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 €1,006

$864 ₡387.3K

31.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

8.62

-66.36%

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

Last update for Zabbar: 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

Zabbar

$951 51.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 16.4% $156

Groceries & Markets

Zabbar

$239 12.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 47.7% $114

Eating Out

Zabbar

$224 12.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 5.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zabbar

$171 9.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 8.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Zabbar

$137 7.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 12.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Zabbar

$83 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 5.9% $4.9

Getting Around

Zabbar

$43 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 101% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,121 in Zabbar 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 31% higher in Zabbar. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Zabbar versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $352 – making Zabbar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Zabbar

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:27 2:27 PM

06:27 6:27 AM

8 h behind Zabbar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,404

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 = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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 EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zabbar Nosara 10,260 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Zabbar
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

Zabbar vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,770 per month in Zabbar 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 Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Zabbar and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 332% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Zabbar at $1,847. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zabbar 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $1,847 in Zabbar. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zabbar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.