Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zell am see and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,307 in Zell am see, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Zell am see
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Zell am see Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Zell am see

🇦🇹 Austria

$2,307

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,307 per month in Zell am see vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Zell am see $2,307
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,305 per month in Zell am see vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Zell am see $3,305
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,304 per month in Zell am see vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Zell am see $4,304
Nosara $3,818

Zell am see costs about 25% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Zell am see and Nosara sit above the global median – Zell am see by 71%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.93 €15.06

$12.35 ₡5,539

37.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 €75.0

$61.2 ₡27.4K

37.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 €8.94

$7.52 ₡3,373

33.78%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.87

$4.41 ₡1,978

-1.36%

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

$3.53 €3.14

$1.74 ₡780

102.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.53

$1.31 ₡587

116.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.85

$3.28 ₡1,471

66.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 €4.74

$4.47 ₡2,004

19.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.56 ₡701

7.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 €2.12

$3.02 ₡1,355

-21.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$2.51 ₡1,125

-4.78%

Eggs

$4.68 €4.16

$3.57 ₡1,603

31.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.25 €19.79

$7.43 ₡3,333

199.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.68 €11.28

$10.52 ₡4,717

20.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.27 €18.92

$13.97 ₡6,265

52.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.58

$2.35 ₡1,052

23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.61 ₡720

56.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 €2.93

$4.80 ₡2,152

-31.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 €3.66

$1.61 ₡724

155.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.20

$3.80 ₡1,703

-34.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 €2.84

$3.69 ₡1,657

-13.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.13 ₡507

89.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.66 ₡1,191

-51.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.65 €6.81

$5.18 ₡2,321

47.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.71 €7.74

$19.88 ₡8,916

-56.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.16

$2.90 ₡1,300

-54.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.63 ₡1,626

-39.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.53

$1.12 ₡504

153.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.40 €42.16

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-34.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 €2.59

$2.14 ₡958

36.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 €0.76

$1.57 ₡703

-45.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.62 €27.24

$8.52 ₡3,823

259.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.52 ₡682

15.13%

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

$30.5K €27.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

41.05%

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

$30.1K €26.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-12.77%

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

$341 €304

$96.3 ₡43.2K

254.64%

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

$15.66 €13.93

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-56.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.35 €34.11

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-28.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.40 €37.72

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-40.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.63 €20.13

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-35.18%

Cinema Ticket

$15.52 €13.81

$7.89 ₡3,539

96.70%

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

$454 €404

$494 ₡221.6K

-8.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K €14.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

32.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 €73.1

$53.9 ₡24.2K

52.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.6 €52.1

$55.4 ₡24.8K

5.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.3

$77.9 ₡34.9K

40.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$79.6 ₡35.7K

60.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 €825

$788 ₡353.4K

17.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$928 €826

$794 ₡356.2K

16.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 €1,464

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-58.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 €1,150

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-8.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,851

$6,912 ₡3.1M

11.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,040 €5,372

$1,224 ₡549.0K

393.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

8.62

-59.40%

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

Last update for Zell am see: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zell am see

$928 40.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 14.4% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zell am see

$395 17.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 53% $210

Groceries & Markets

Zell am see

$392 17%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 10.2% $40

Eating Out

Zell am see

$281 12.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 24.6% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Zell am see

$170 7.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 29.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Zell am see

$73 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 19% $14

Getting Around

Zell am see

$66 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 32% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $928 in Zell am see 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Zell am see versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇹 Zell am see

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

01:01 1:01 AM

8 h behind Zell am see

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,131

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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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 EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zell am see Nosara 9,820 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Zell am see
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

Zell am see vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,307 in Zell am see, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,460 per month in Zell am see 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 Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $454 per month in Zell am see and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Zell am see at $2,307. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zell am see 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $2,307 in Zell am see. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zell am see makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.