Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albert Lea, MN and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Albert Lea, MN
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Albert Lea, MN Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Albert Lea, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,944

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Albert Lea, MN $1,944
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,969 in Albert Lea, MN versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Albert Lea, MN $2,969
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,995 in Albert Lea, MN versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Albert Lea, MN $3,995
Nosara $3,814

Living in Albert Lea, MN is roughly 6% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albert Lea, MN 43% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.02 $20.02

$12.34 ₡5,535

62.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$61.3 ₡27.5K

65.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 $11.92

$7.76 ₡3,481

53.61%

Cappuccino

$6.29 $6.29

$4.44 ₡1,992

41.67%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$1.79 ₡803

70.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.29 ₡580

98.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.24 ₡1,451

50.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$4.43 ₡1,985

28.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.55 ₡696

-40.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.08 ₡1,380

-4.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.53 ₡1,133

-14.23%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$3.45 ₡1,546

13.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.32 ₡3,284

20.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.56 $16.56

$10.24 ₡4,594

61.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 $18.96

$14.10 ₡6,326

34.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.29 ₡1,027

135.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.64 ₡737

-8.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.79 ₡2,149

2.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.64 ₡735

126.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.85 ₡1,727

-29.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.75 ₡1,681

-40.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.09 ₡488

147.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.59 ₡1,160

-11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.92 $9.92

$5.12 ₡2,295

93.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$19.92 ₡8,931

-23.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.80 ₡1,255

-37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.52 ₡1,580

-3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.22 ₡549

71.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.17 ₡973

-10.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.56 ₡698

-17.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.31 $20.31

$8.67 ₡3,886

134.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.55 ₡697

-39.35%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-22.80%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-33.94%

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

$185 $185

$94.8 ₡42.5K

94.74%

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

$53.4 $53.4

$36.15 ₡16.2K

47.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 $79.6

$53.1 ₡23.8K

50.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.66 $39.66

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-46.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 $9.82

$7.91 ₡3,548

24.15%

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

$1,350 $1,350

$490 ₡219.9K

175.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

0.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.76 $45.76

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-16.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.54 $24.54

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-56.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.6 $50.6

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-36.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 $59.6

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 $1,030

$801 ₡359.1K

28.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 $739

$790 ₡354.1K

-6.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 $1,586

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-60.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 $1,188

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-15.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,942 $2,942

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-58.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,028 $2,028

$1,236 ₡554.3K

64.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 $2,957

$887 ₡397.6K

233.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Albert Lea, MN: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albert Lea, MN

$739 38%

Nosara

$790 43% 6.8% $50

Groceries & Markets

Albert Lea, MN

$400 20.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 12.6% $50

Eating Out

Albert Lea, MN

$330 17%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 35.5% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albert Lea, MN

$318 16.3%

Nosara

$184 10% 42.1% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Albert Lea, MN

$81 4.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 48.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Albert Lea, MN

$59 3.1%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 51.1% $30

Getting Around

Albert Lea, MN

$17 * 0.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 431% $72

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 Albert Lea, MN and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albert Lea, MN pays 234% 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: $102 in Albert Lea, MN vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albert Lea, MN

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

04:12 4:12 AM

1 h behind Albert Lea, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,758

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Highest

Between locations

Albert Lea, MN Nosara 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Albert Lea, MN
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

Albert Lea, MN vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albert Lea, MN and Nosara differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,944 vs $1,835 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 234% higher in Albert Lea, MN, 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 Albert Lea, MN versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,350 in Albert Lea, MN versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $102 in Albert Lea, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Albert Lea, MN. 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, Albert Lea, MN 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 6% less than in Albert Lea, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.