Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zapresic and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Zapresic: $1,516 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Zapresic
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Zapresic Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Zapresic

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,516

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,516 per month in Zapresic vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Zapresic $1,516
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,258 per month in Zapresic vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Zapresic $2,258
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Zapresic vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Zapresic $3,000
Nosara $3,818

Zapresic is about 18% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Zapresic and Nosara sit above the global median – Zapresic by 12%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 €9.85

$12.35 ₡5,547

-10.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.7 €49.78

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-8.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 €7.92

$7.52 ₡3,377

17.95%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.44

$4.41 ₡1,981

-37.87%

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

$2.97 €2.65

$1.74 ₡781

70.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.32

$1.31 ₡588

98.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 €2.94

$3.28 ₡1,473

0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 €3.96

$4.47 ₡2,007

-0.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.56 ₡702

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 €1.34

$3.02 ₡1,357

-50.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.51 ₡1,127

2.79%

Eggs

$3.42 €3.05

$3.57 ₡1,605

-4.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 €10.38

$7.43 ₡3,338

56.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.56 €7.65

$10.52 ₡4,724

-18.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.58 €10.34

$13.97 ₡6,274

-17.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 €1.49

$2.35 ₡1,054

-29.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.61 ₡721

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$4.80 ₡2,155

-62.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$1.61 ₡725

61.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$3.80 ₡1,706

-65.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$3.69 ₡1,659

-68.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.13 ₡507

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$2.66 ₡1,193

-56.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €5.00

$5.18 ₡2,324

8.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €7.07

$19.88 ₡8,929

-60.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.90 ₡1,302

-43.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.78

$3.63 ₡1,628

-45.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.12 ₡505

41.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.56 €38.91

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-40.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.14 ₡959

1.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.57 ₡704

-30.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.66 €10.42

$8.52 ₡3,828

36.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.52 ₡683

20.39%

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

$26.0K €23.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

20.18%

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

$24.3K €21.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-29.53%

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

$190 €170

$96.3 ₡43.2K

97.76%

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

$22.01 €19.66

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-38.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.02 €36.64

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-23.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 €46.62

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-27.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.20 €11.79

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-62.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.16 €8.18

$7.89 ₡3,544

16.10%

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

$427 €381

$494 ₡221.9K

-13.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,227 €3,775

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-64.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.8

$53.9 ₡24.2K

88.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 €35.05

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-29.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 €86.2

$77.9 ₡35.0K

23.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €95.9

$79.6 ₡35.8K

34.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$689 €616

$788 ₡353.9K

-12.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 €473

$794 ₡356.7K

-33.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 €1,061

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-69.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 €764

$1,419 ₡637.4K

-39.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,088 €3,651

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-40.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,915 €2,603

$1,224 ₡549.8K

138.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,562 €1,395

$864 ₡387.8K

80.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

8.62

-56.84%

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

Last update for Zapresic: 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

Zapresic

$530 35%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 49.8% $264

Groceries & Markets

Zapresic

$255 16.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 38.4% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zapresic

$253 16.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 26.7% $68

Eating Out

Zapresic

$195 12.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 8.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Zapresic

$155 10.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 22.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Zapresic

$71 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 23.9% $17

Getting Around

Zapresic

$58 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 51.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $689 in Zapresic 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 81% higher in Zapresic, 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 $56.0 in Zapresic versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $352 – making Zapresic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Zapresic

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:31 11:31 AM

03:31 3:31 AM

8 h behind Zapresic

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,133

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 = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zapresic Nosara 10,080 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Zapresic
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

Zapresic vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,516 in Zapresic, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,275 per month in Zapresic 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 Zapresic, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Zapresic. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $427 per month in Zapresic and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zapresic, where all-in costs run around $1,516, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zapresic 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 $1,516 in Zapresic 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 Zapresic. 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.