Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zabljak and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Zabljak: $1,128 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Zabljak
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Zabljak Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Zabljak

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,128

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,128 per month in Zabljak vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Zabljak $1,128
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,769 per month in Zabljak vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Zabljak $1,769
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,410 per month in Zabljak vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Zabljak $2,410
Nosara $3,814

Zabljak is about 39% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Zabljak sits 17% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.95 €7.08

$12.34 ₡5,535

-35.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.82 €28.30

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-48.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 €5.82

$7.76 ₡3,481

-15.59%

Cappuccino

$1.63 €1.45

$4.44 ₡1,992

-63.29%

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

$2.24 €2.00

$1.79 ₡803

25.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.29 ₡580

12.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 €2.66

$3.24 ₡1,451

-7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.15

$4.43 ₡1,985

-20.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.55 ₡696

-18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 €0.57

$3.08 ₡1,380

-78.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$2.53 ₡1,133

-48.22%

Eggs

$2.97 €2.64

$3.45 ₡1,546

-13.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.08 €6.30

$7.32 ₡3,284

-3.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 €6.42

$10.24 ₡4,594

-29.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 €10.88

$14.10 ₡6,326

-13.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 €1.17

$2.29 ₡1,027

-42.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.64 ₡737

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$4.79 ₡2,149

-68.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.64 ₡735

-14.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 €0.58

$3.85 ₡1,727

-83.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 €0.62

$3.75 ₡1,681

-81.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 €0.81

$1.09 ₡488

-16.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$2.59 ₡1,160

-62.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 €3.57

$5.12 ₡2,295

-21.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.41 €3.92

$19.92 ₡8,931

-77.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$2.80 ₡1,255

-61.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$3.52 ₡1,580

-50.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.22 ₡549

33.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.55 €35.18

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-46.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 €1.02

$2.17 ₡973

-47.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.56 ₡698

-58.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.00 €15.12

$8.67 ₡3,886

96.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.55 ₡697

14.19%

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

$29.3K €26.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-15.13%

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

$25.6K €22.7K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-34.04%

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

$113 €101

$94.8 ₡42.5K

19.41%

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

$15.02 €13.36

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-58.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.02 €19.58

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-58.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.30 €41.18

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-37.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.72 €13.10

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-58.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 €5.53

$7.91 ₡3,548

-21.49%

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

$392 €349

$490 ₡219.9K

-20.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,812 €8,728

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-17.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.65 €20.15

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-58.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.47 €24.43

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-50.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 €48.89

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-31.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 €60.2

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 €573

$801 ₡359.1K

-19.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 €405

$790 ₡354.1K

-42.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 €1,135

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-68.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 €834

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-33.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,324 €2,956

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-52.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,097

$1,236 ₡554.3K

90.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$801 €713

$887 ₡397.6K

-9.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

8.62

-30.97%

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

Last update for Zabljak: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zabljak

$455 40.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 73.6% $335

Groceries & Markets

Zabljak

$196 17.4%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 78.2% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zabljak

$150 13.3%

Nosara

$184 10% 22.5% $34

Eating Out

Zabljak

$140 12.4%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 52.2% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Zabljak

$78 6.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 55.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Zabljak

$59 5.2%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 52.6% $31

Getting Around

Zabljak

$50 4.5%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 76% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $645 in Zabljak versus $801 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 11% higher in Nosara, 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 $32.00 in Zabljak versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $350 – making Zabljak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇪 Zabljak

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:07 11:07 PM

15:07 3:07 PM

8 h behind Zabljak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,900

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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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 EUR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Zabljak Nosara 10,420 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Zabljak
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

Zabljak vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,128 in Zabljak, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,692 per month in Zabljak and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zabljak, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 87% less in Zabljak. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $392 per month in Zabljak and $490 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 Zabljak, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Zabljak 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 $1,128 in Zabljak to $1,835 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 Zabljak. 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.