Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zakopane and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakopane: $1,490 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. The total is higher in Nosara despite lower rent and utilities.

73

Cost of Living Index in Zakopane
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Zakopane Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Zakopane

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,490

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,490 per month in Zakopane vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Zakopane $1,490
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,250 per month in Zakopane vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Zakopane $2,250
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,010 per month in Zakopane vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Zakopane $3,010
Nosara $3,818

Zakopane is about 19% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zakopane and Nosara sit above the global median – Zakopane by 10%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 zł 32.25

$12.35 ₡5,539

-32.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.27 zł 110

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-53.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 zł 32.26

$7.52 ₡3,373

10.37%

Cappuccino

$3.53 zł 13.70

$4.41 ₡1,978

-19.95%

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

$2.63 zł 10.21

$1.74 ₡780

51.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 zł 7.69

$1.31 ₡587

51.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 zł 9.51

$3.28 ₡1,471

-25.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 zł 17.36

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 zł 3.80

$1.56 ₡701

-37.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 zł 4.67

$3.02 ₡1,355

-60.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 zł 4.81

$2.51 ₡1,125

-50.60%

Eggs

$2.35 zł 9.14

$3.57 ₡1,603

-34.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.61 zł 25.67

$7.43 ₡3,333

-11.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 zł 19.47

$10.52 ₡4,717

-52.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.24 zł 20.35

$13.97 ₡6,265

-62.49%

Apples (1kg)

$0.73 zł 2.82

$2.35 ₡1,052

-68.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 zł 5.37

$1.61 ₡720

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 zł 5.52

$4.80 ₡2,152

-70.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 zł 9.73

$1.61 ₡724

55.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 zł 1.15

$3.80 ₡1,703

-92.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 zł 3.47

$3.69 ₡1,657

-75.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 zł 2.59

$1.13 ₡507

-40.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 zł 2.29

$2.66 ₡1,191

-77.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 zł 16.59

$5.18 ₡2,321

-17.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.67 zł 18.16

$19.88 ₡8,916

-76.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 zł 4.04

$2.90 ₡1,300

-64.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 zł 6.04

$3.63 ₡1,626

-57.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 zł 4.89

$1.12 ₡504

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.21 zł 168

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-40.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 zł 5.90

$2.14 ₡958

-28.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 zł 2.85

$1.57 ₡703

-53.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 zł 19.60

$8.52 ₡3,823

-40.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 zł 6.20

$1.52 ₡682

5.26%

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

$31.0K zł 120.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

43.69%

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

$23.7K zł 92.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-31.26%

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

$244 zł 949

$96.3 ₡43.2K

153.65%

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

$7.80 zł 30.30

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-78.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.08 zł 66.3

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-68.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.84 zł 34.35

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-87.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.61 zł 52.9

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-61.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 zł 28.43

$7.89 ₡3,539

-7.22%

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

$310 zł 1,205

$494 ₡221.6K

-37.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,254 zł 8,759

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-80.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 zł 210

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.93 zł 73.6

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-65.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 zł 195

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-35.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.60 zł 181

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-41.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 zł 2,823

$788 ₡353.4K

-7.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 zł 2,864

$794 ₡356.2K

-7.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 zł 4,966

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-67.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 zł 6,010

$1,419 ₡636.5K

9.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,876 zł 22.8K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-14.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,888 zł 22.9K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

381.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,568 zł 6,091

$864 ₡387.3K

81.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.62

-24.59%

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

Last update for Zakopane: 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

Zakopane

$737 49.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 7.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zakopane

$269 18.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 31% $83

Eating Out

Zakopane

$173 11.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 22.3% $39

Groceries & Markets

Zakopane

$157 10.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 124% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Zakopane

$76 5.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 57.2% $44

Getting Around

Zakopane

$53 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 63% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Zakopane

$23 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 272% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $727 in Zakopane 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 82% higher in Zakopane, 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 $28.00 in Zakopane versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $157 vs $352 – making Zakopane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Zakopane

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

13:46 1:46 PM

8 h behind Zakopane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,662

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 17, 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 17, 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

Zakopane Nosara 10,270 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Zakopane
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

Zakopane vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,490 in Zakopane, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,235 per month in Zakopane 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 Zakopane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Zakopane. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $310 per month in Zakopane 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 Zakopane, where all-in costs run around $1,490, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zakopane 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 $1,490 in Zakopane 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 Zakopane. 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.