Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Acton, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,160 in Acton, MA, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Acton, MA
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Acton, MA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Acton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,160

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,160 per month in Acton, MA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Acton, MA $3,160
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,763 per month in Acton, MA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Acton, MA $4,763
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $6,366 per month in Acton, MA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Acton, MA $6,366
Nosara $3,712

Acton, MA costs about 72% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Acton, MA and Nosara sit above the global median – Acton, MA by 136%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.95 $17.95

$12.22 ₡5,509

46.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 $97.4

$60.2 ₡27.1K

61.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 $13.55

$7.54 ₡3,399

79.71%

Cappuccino

$5.51 $5.51

$4.31 ₡1,941

27.84%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$1.72 ₡773

64.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.35 ₡608

98.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.24 ₡1,459

56.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.48 ₡2,018

75.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.57 ₡707

-38.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.17 ₡1,429

-24.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.42 ₡1,091

120.66%

Eggs

$4.75 $4.75

$3.57 ₡1,609

33.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$7.43 ₡3,349

53.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$10.42 ₡4,697

35.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.70 $17.70

$13.66 ₡6,156

29.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.32 ₡1,044

83.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.61 ₡728

7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$4.74 ₡2,138

-37.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.66 ₡747

136.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$3.72 ₡1,679

-48.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.57 ₡1,611

-20.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.10 ₡497

76.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.19 $13.19

$4.95 ₡2,232

166.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.10 $9.10

$20.01 ₡9,020

-54.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.79 ₡1,256

-26.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.53 ₡1,589

17.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.57 ₡708

-42.68%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

71.62%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-23.75%

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

$317 $317

$93.5 ₡42.1K

238.81%

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

$61.6 $61.6

$35.11 ₡15.8K

75.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 $73.7

$51.5 ₡23.2K

43.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.04 $25.04

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-64.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 $13.14

$7.84 ₡3,535

67.60%

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

$1,836 $1,836

$490 ₡220.7K

274.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K $30.1K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

153.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 $56.2

$53.5 ₡24.1K

4.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 $38.84

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-30.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 $79.7

$79.3 ₡35.7K

0.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 $99.2

$78.9 ₡35.6K

25.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 $2,657

$786 ₡354.3K

238.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 $1,890

$780 ₡351.6K

142.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 $2,852

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-26.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,608 $3,608

$1,407 ₡634.4K

156.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,839 $8,839

$876 ₡395.0K

908.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Acton, MA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Acton, MA

$1.9K 59.4%

Nosara

$780 43% 58.7% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Acton, MA

$452 14.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 60.2% $272

Groceries & Markets

Acton, MA

$351 * 11%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 0.4% $1.6

Eating Out

Acton, MA

$313 9.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 33.2% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Acton, MA

$123 3.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 2.4% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Acton, MA

$51 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 69.7% $36

Getting Around

Acton, MA

- * 0%

Nosara

$87 4.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,657 in Acton, MA versus $786 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 909% higher in Acton, MA, 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 $97.0 in Acton, MA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Acton, MA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

19:18 7:18 PM

2 h behind Acton, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,596

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Acton, MA Nosara 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Acton, MA
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

Acton, MA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Acton, MA costs about 72% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,741 per month in Acton, MA and $2,756 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,160 in Acton, MA and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 72%.

Kindergarten costs $1,836 per month in Acton, MA and $490 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 $1,837, than in Acton, MA at $3,160. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Acton, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $3,160 in Acton, MA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Acton, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.