Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria, VA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,249 in Alexandria, VA, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, VA
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Alexandria, VA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Alexandria, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,249

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,249 in Alexandria, VA versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Alexandria, VA $3,249
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,722 in Alexandria, VA versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Alexandria, VA $4,722
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,195 in Alexandria, VA versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Alexandria, VA $6,195
Nosara $3,818

Living in Alexandria, VA is roughly 77% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alexandria, VA 141% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.18 $20.18

$12.35 ₡5,539

63.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 $103

$61.2 ₡27.4K

68.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$7.52 ₡3,373

57.31%

Cappuccino

$4.52 $4.52

$4.41 ₡1,978

2.49%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.74 ₡780

56.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.31 ₡587

71.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 $6.58

$3.28 ₡1,471

100.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 $8.86

$4.47 ₡2,004

98.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.56 ₡701

-24.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.02 ₡1,355

28.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.51 ₡1,125

51.39%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$3.57 ₡1,603

26.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.40 $16.40

$7.43 ₡3,333

120.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.22 $15.22

$10.52 ₡4,717

44.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.04 $20.04

$13.97 ₡6,265

43.45%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.35 ₡1,052

159.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.61 ₡720

-16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$4.80 ₡2,152

57.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.84 $7.84

$1.61 ₡724

386.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.80 ₡1,703

-43.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.69 ₡1,657

-29.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.13 ₡507

141.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.66 ₡1,191

-8.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.34 $9.34

$5.18 ₡2,321

80.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 $14.35

$19.88 ₡8,916

-27.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.90 ₡1,300

-39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.63 ₡1,626

0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.12 ₡504

174.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.5 $51.5

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-29.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.14 ₡958

90.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.57 ₡703

26.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.13 $25.13

$8.52 ₡3,823

194.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.52 ₡682

-32.89%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

70.11%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.78%

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

$240 $240

$96.3 ₡43.2K

149.67%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$35.89 ₡16.1K

49.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$53.6 ₡24.0K

44.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.4 $72.4

$71.6 ₡32.1K

1.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 $18.33

$7.89 ₡3,539

132.32%

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

$2,034 $2,034

$494 ₡221.6K

311.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$65.5K $65.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

452.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.10 $48.10

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-10.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.90 $47.90

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-13.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$77.9 ₡34.9K

55.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$79.6 ₡35.7K

68.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,315 $2,315

$788 ₡353.4K

193.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 $1,737

$794 ₡356.2K

118.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 $3,390

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-13.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,776 $2,776

$1,419 ₡636.5K

95.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,743 $6,743

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-2.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,049 $4,049

$1,224 ₡549.0K

230.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,951 $5,951

$864 ₡387.3K

589.12%

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 Alexandria, VA: 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

Alexandria, VA

$1.7K 53.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 54.3% $943

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria, VA

$474 14.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 25.7% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria, VA

$371 11.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 50% $186

Eating Out

Alexandria, VA

$322 9.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 34.2% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria, VA

$158 4.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 24.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria, VA

$109 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 19.9% $22

Getting Around

Alexandria, VA

$78 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 12.1% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,315 in Alexandria, VA and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria, VA pays 589% 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: $103 in Alexandria, VA vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $474 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alexandria, VA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

13:53 1:53 PM

2 h behind Alexandria, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,035

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Alexandria, VA Nosara 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Alexandria, VA
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

Alexandria, VA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria, VA and Nosara differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($3,249 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 589% higher in Alexandria, VA, 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: $2,315 in Alexandria, VA versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,249 per month in Alexandria, VA versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 41% less than in Alexandria, VA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,249 in Alexandria, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Alexandria, VA. 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, Alexandria, VA 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 77% less than in Alexandria, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.