Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abilene, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,186 in Abilene, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Abilene, TX
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Abilene, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,186

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,186 in Abilene, TX versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Abilene, TX $2,186
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Abilene, TX versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Abilene, TX $3,178
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,169 in Abilene, TX versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Abilene, TX $4,169
Nosara $3,818

Living in Abilene, TX is roughly 19% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abilene, TX 62% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.06 $18.06

$12.35 ₡5,539

46.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 $64.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

5.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 $9.13

$7.52 ₡3,373

21.41%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.41 ₡1,978

24.04%

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

$2.38 $2.38

$1.74 ₡780

36.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.31 ₡587

41.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.28 ₡1,471

51.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.47 ₡2,004

29.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.56 ₡701

-33.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 $2.32

$3.02 ₡1,355

-23.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$2.51 ₡1,125

124.30%

Eggs

$3.73 $3.73

$3.57 ₡1,603

4.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 $8.39

$7.43 ₡3,333

12.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$10.52 ₡4,717

23.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$13.97 ₡6,265

0.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.35 ₡1,052

44.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.61 ₡720

-39.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.80 ₡2,152

-2.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.61 ₡724

229.19%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.80 ₡1,703

11.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.69 ₡1,657

-4.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.13 ₡507

119.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.66 ₡1,191

-26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 $5.85

$5.18 ₡2,321

12.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 $11.31

$19.88 ₡8,916

-43.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.90 ₡1,300

-12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.63 ₡1,626

13.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.12 ₡504

52.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 $53.3

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-26.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.86 $14.86

$8.52 ₡3,823

74.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.52 ₡682

-43.42%

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

$19.1K $19.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-11.55%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-29.13%

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

$236 $236

$96.3 ₡43.2K

145.44%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$35.89 ₡16.1K

63.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$53.6 ₡24.0K

14.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.16 $20.16

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-71.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 $12.02

$7.89 ₡3,539

52.34%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.11 $42.11

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-21.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.74 $19.74

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-64.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.9 $62.9

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-19.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 $65.6

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-17.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 $1,160

$788 ₡353.4K

47.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 $981

$794 ₡356.2K

23.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 $1,847

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-53.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$1,419 ₡636.5K

12.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,667 $1,667

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-75.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,711 $1,711

$1,224 ₡549.0K

39.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,281 $3,281

$864 ₡387.3K

279.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

8.62

-24.71%

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

Last update for Abilene, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Abilene, TX

$981 44.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 19.1% $187

Groceries & Markets

Abilene, TX

$368 16.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 4.3% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abilene, TX

$356 16.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 47.9% $171

Eating Out

Abilene, TX

$291 13.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 27.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Abilene, TX

$86 3.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 40.2% $34

Getting Around

Abilene, TX

$60 * 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 44.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Abilene, TX

$44 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 97.7% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Abilene, TX and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abilene, TX pays 280% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Abilene, TX vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Abilene, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

01:46 1:46 AM

1 h behind Abilene, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

125,182

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Abilene, TX Nosara 2,900 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Abilene, TX
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

Abilene, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abilene, TX and Nosara differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,186 vs $1,839 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 280% higher in Abilene, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,160 in Abilene, TX versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $64.0 in Abilene, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 36% less than in Abilene, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,186 in Abilene, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Abilene, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Abilene, TX and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Abilene, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.