Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alamogordo, NM and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $1,992 in Alamogordo, NM, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Alamogordo, NM
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Alamogordo, NM Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Alamogordo, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,992

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,992 in Alamogordo, NM versus $1,844 in Nosara.

Alamogordo, NM $1,992
Nosara $1,844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,022 in Alamogordo, NM versus $2,817 in Nosara.

Alamogordo, NM $3,022
Nosara $2,817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,051 in Alamogordo, NM versus $3,790 in Nosara.

Alamogordo, NM $4,051
Nosara $3,790

Living in Alamogordo, NM is roughly 8% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alamogordo, NM 47% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 $17.07

$12.38 ₡5,568

37.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$60.6 ₡27.2K

21.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 $8.85

$7.81 ₡3,513

13.32%

Cappuccino

$5.52 $5.52

$4.37 ₡1,966

26.32%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$1.78 ₡800

64.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.35 ₡605

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.39 ₡1,526

48.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.31 ₡1,939

13.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.55 ₡699

-24.52%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.17 ₡1,425

34.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.51 ₡1,130

121.12%

Eggs

$4.16 $4.16

$3.53 ₡1,585

17.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.29 $16.29

$7.37 ₡3,313

121.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.70 $20.70

$10.46 ₡4,703

97.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.55 $16.55

$13.91 ₡6,255

18.98%

Apples (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.26 ₡1,018

166.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.56 ₡701

12.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$4.70 ₡2,113

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.62 ₡729

164.20%

Potato (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$3.88 ₡1,746

128.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.79 ₡1,704

-45.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.07 ₡481

132.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.61 ₡1,174

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 $10.84

$5.16 ₡2,319

110.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 $16.15

$20.33 ₡9,143

-20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.91 ₡1,310

-29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.67 ₡1,651

14.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.31 ₡588

-21.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.19 ₡984

63.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.84 ₡829

30.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.54 $34.54

$7.81 ₡3,513

342.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.56 ₡702

-33.33%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-21.13%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-32.07%

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

$134 $134

$95.9 ₡43.1K

40.00%

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

$44.13 $44.13

$35.37 ₡15.9K

24.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$53.7 ₡24.1K

26.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.57 $21.57

$35.43 ₡15.9K

-39.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 $11.15

$7.72 ₡3,473

44.43%

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

$1,362 $1,362

$496 ₡222.8K

174.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K $22.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

92.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 $61.2

$54.6 ₡24.6K

12.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 $56.6

$55.0 ₡24.7K

2.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$79.8 ₡35.9K

-0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 $1,030

$817 ₡367.5K

26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 $839

$800 ₡359.7K

4.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 $1,603

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-58.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 $1,388

$1,396 ₡627.6K

-0.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,922 $1,922

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-72.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,889 $1,889

$1,222 ₡549.6K

54.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,769 $2,769

$879 ₡395.3K

214.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-30.39%

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

Last update for Alamogordo, NM: November 2, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alamogordo, NM

$839 42.1%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 4.6% $39

Groceries & Markets

Alamogordo, NM

$493 24.8%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 28.5% $141

Eating Out

Alamogordo, NM

$284 14.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 24.9% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alamogordo, NM

$246 12.4%

Nosara

$185 10% 24.9% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Alamogordo, NM

$89 * 4.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 35.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Alamogordo, NM

$22 * 1.1%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 272% $61

Getting Around

Alamogordo, NM

$20 * 1%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 357% $70

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 $1,030 in Alamogordo, NM and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alamogordo, NM pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $74 in Alamogordo, NM vs $61 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $493 vs $353 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alamogordo, NM

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:08 4:08 PM

17:08 5:08 PM

1 h ahead of Alamogordo, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,384

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Alamogordo, NM Nosara 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Alamogordo, NM
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

Alamogordo, NM vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,992 in Alamogordo, NM and $1,844 in Nosara, so Nosara is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Alamogordo, NM is about 3.1 times higher, 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: $1,030 in Alamogordo, NM versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Alamogordo, NM. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,992 per month in Alamogordo, NM versus $1,844 in Nosara – Nosara is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Nosara wins on affordability, Alamogordo, NM on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.