Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zatec and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Zatec: $1,230 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Zatec
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
$1,230
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,230 per month in Zatec vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Zatec $1,230
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Zatec vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Zatec $1,888
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,546 per month in Zatec vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Zatec $2,546
  • Nosara $3,818

Zatec is about 33% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Zatec sits 9% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zatec
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.94 Kč 150
$12.35 ₡5,539
-43.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.15 Kč 392
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-70.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.23 Kč 200
$7.52 ₡3,373
22.74%
Cappuccino
$3.02 Kč 65.2
$4.41 ₡1,978
-31.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 Kč 15.15
$1.74 ₡780
-59.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 Kč 19.44
$1.31 ₡587
-31.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 Kč 48.15
$3.28 ₡1,471
-32.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 Kč 59.0
$4.47 ₡2,004
-38.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zatec
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.81 Kč 17.51
$1.56 ₡701
-48.08%
White Bread (500g)
$1.34 Kč 29.02
$3.02 ₡1,355
-55.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 Kč 49.23
$2.51 ₡1,125
-9.16%
Eggs
$2.49 Kč 53.9
$3.57 ₡1,603
-30.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.64 Kč 122
$7.43 ₡3,333
-24.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.39 Kč 116
$10.52 ₡4,717
-48.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.67 Kč 144
$13.97 ₡6,265
-52.25%
Apples (1kg)
$1.28 Kč 27.65
$2.35 ₡1,052
-45.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 Kč 35.27
$1.61 ₡720
1.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.13 Kč 45.98
$4.80 ₡2,152
-55.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.26 Kč 70.5
$1.61 ₡724
102.48%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 Kč 20.64
$3.80 ₡1,703
-75.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 Kč 23.72
$3.69 ₡1,657
-70.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.61 Kč 34.71
$1.13 ₡507
42.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 Kč 11.91
$2.66 ₡1,191
-79.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.06 Kč 131
$5.18 ₡2,321
16.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.59 Kč 121
$19.88 ₡8,916
-71.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 Kč 19.33
$2.90 ₡1,300
-69.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Kč 36.68
$3.63 ₡1,626
-53.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Zatec
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 Kč 7.26
$1.12 ₡504
-69.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$24.90 Kč 539
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-65.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.69 Kč 58.1
$2.14 ₡958
25.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.87 Kč 40.52
$1.57 ₡703
19.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.32 Kč 353
$8.52 ₡3,823
91.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 Kč 40.20
$1.52 ₡682
22.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.4K Kč 678.9K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
45.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.9K Kč 647.6K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-13.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zatec
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$297 Kč 6,424
$96.3 ₡43.2K
208.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.14 Kč 479
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-38.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.89 Kč 409
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-64.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zatec
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.34 Kč 1,067
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-31.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.33 Kč 396
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-47.49%
Cinema Ticket
$12.79 Kč 277
$7.89 ₡3,539
62.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zatec
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$726 Kč 15.7K
$494 ₡221.6K
46.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K Kč 249.0K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-2.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zatec
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.3 Kč 1,845
$53.9 ₡24.2K
58.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.89 Kč 798
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-33.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$46.22 Kč 1,000
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-40.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 Kč 2,628
$79.6 ₡35.7K
52.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zatec
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$351 Kč 7,589
$788 ₡353.4K
-55.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$323 Kč 6,991
$794 ₡356.2K
-59.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 Kč 27.5K
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-67.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$855 Kč 18.5K
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-39.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,790 Kč 103.6K
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-30.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,585 Kč 77.5K
$1,224 ₡549.0K
192.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zatec
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,163 Kč 25.2K
$864 ₡387.3K
34.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.67
8.62
-45.82%

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

Last update for Zatec: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zatec
$338
Nosara
$186 45.1% $152
Accommodation & Living
Zatec
$323
Nosara
$794 146% $471
Groceries & Markets
Zatec
$183
Nosara
$352 93% $170
Eating Out
Zatec
$142
Nosara
$212 48.8% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Zatec
$130
Nosara
$120 8% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Zatec
$75
Nosara
$87 16.6% $12
Getting Around
Zatec
$38
Nosara
$87 127% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $351 in Zatec 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 35% higher in Zatec, 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 $18.00 in Zatec versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $352 – making Zatec the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇿 Zatec
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
07:03 7:03 AM
23:03 11:03 PM
8 h behind Zatec
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,522
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CZK – Czech Koruna Converter

Czech Koruna exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 21.63 CZK (100 CZK = 4.62 USD). 1 EUR = 24.31 CZK (100 CZK = 4.11 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zatec Nosara 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Zatec
  • 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
Zatec vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Zatec and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,230 in Zatec, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 49% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Zatec compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,845 per month in Zatec and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Zatec and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Zatec, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Zatec and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 192% less in Zatec. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Zatec and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $726 per month in Zatec and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zatec, where all-in costs run around $1,230, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zatec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Zatec and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,230 in Zatec to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Zatec or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Zatec and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Zatec. 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.

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