Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zawiya and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Zawiya: $441 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Zawiya
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Zawiya Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Zawiya

🇱🇾 Libya

$441

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $441 per month in Zawiya vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Zawiya $441
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $685 per month in Zawiya vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Zawiya $685
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $929 per month in Zawiya vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Zawiya $929
Nosara $3,818

Zawiya is about 76% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Zawiya sits 67% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.39 LYD 15.32

$12.35 ₡5,539

-80.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.64 LYD 100

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-74.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.68 LYD 17.16

$7.52 ₡3,373

-64.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.45 LYD 2.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 LYD 3.80

Cappuccino

$0.42 LYD 2.68

$4.41 ₡1,978

-90.48%

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

$0.41 LYD 2.63

$1.74 ₡780

-76.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 LYD 0.80

$1.31 ₡587

-90.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 LYD 5.90

$1.56 ₡701

-41.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 LYD 1.28

$3.02 ₡1,355

-93.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 LYD 6.26

$2.51 ₡1,125

-60.96%

Eggs

$1.35 LYD 8.65

$3.57 ₡1,603

-62.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.65 LYD 29.77

$7.43 ₡3,333

-37.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 LYD 22.97

$10.52 ₡4,717

-65.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.99 LYD 57.6

$13.97 ₡6,265

-35.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 LYD 12.46

$2.35 ₡1,052

-17.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 LYD 9.21

$1.61 ₡720

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 LYD 4.38

$4.80 ₡2,152

-85.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 LYD 3.18

$1.61 ₡724

-68.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 LYD 3.96

$3.80 ₡1,703

-83.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.28 LYD 1.80

$3.69 ₡1,657

-92.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 LYD 1.92

$1.13 ₡507

-73.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.18 LYD 1.18

$2.66 ₡1,191

-93.23%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.75 LYD 4.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 LYD 4.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 LYD 4.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.72 LYD 11.03

$5.18 ₡2,321

-66.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 LYD 5.13

$1.12 ₡504

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.03 LYD 250

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-46.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 LYD 4.84

$2.14 ₡958

-64.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 LYD 3.13

$1.57 ₡703

-68.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 LYD 15.25

$8.52 ₡3,823

-72.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.13

$1.52 ₡682

-98.68%

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

$15.2K LYD 97.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-29.66%

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

$16.5K LYD 105.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-52.33%

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

$94.2 LYD 603

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-2.20%

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

$5.59 LYD 35.80

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-84.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.12 LYD 77.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-77.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.94 LYD 109

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-76.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.84 LYD 24.61

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-89.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.78 LYD 24.25

$7.89 ₡3,539

-52.09%

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

$52.5 LYD 337

$494 ₡221.6K

-89.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$879 LYD 5,630

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-92.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.92 LYD 134

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-61.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.60 LYD 286

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-19.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$31.29 LYD 200

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-59.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.69 LYD 197

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-61.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$89.2 LYD 572

$788 ₡353.4K

-88.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$58.3 LYD 373

$794 ₡356.2K

-92.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 LYD 1,072

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-95.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$120 LYD 766

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-91.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$349 LYD 2,238

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-94.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$95.9 LYD 614

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-92.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 LYD 1,566

$864 ₡387.3K

-71.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Zawiya: 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

Zawiya

$112 25.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 66% $74

Groceries & Markets

Zawiya

$109 24.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 224% $244

Accommodation & Living

Zawiya

$58 13.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 1263% $736

Clothing & Footwear

Zawiya

$57 13%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 109% $63

Getting Around

Zawiya

$45 10.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 91.8% $42

Eating Out

Zawiya

$34 7.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 517% $178

Sport & Entertainment

Zawiya

$25 5.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 257% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $89.2 in Zawiya 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 253% 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 $16.00 in Zawiya versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $109 vs $352 – making Zawiya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇾 Zawiya

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

10:07 10:07 AM

8 h behind Zawiya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

318,726

4,912

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 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).

USD to LYD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Zawiya Nosara 10,180 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Zawiya
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

Zawiya vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $441 in Zawiya, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 317% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $661 per month in Zawiya 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 Zawiya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 86% less in Zawiya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $52.5 per month in Zawiya 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 Zawiya, where all-in costs run around $441, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Zawiya 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 $441 in Zawiya 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 Zawiya. 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.