Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Allentown, PA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,691 in Allentown, PA, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Allentown, PA
Learn more

Allentown, PA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Allentown, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,691

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,691 per month in Allentown, PA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Allentown, PA $2,691
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,850 per month in Allentown, PA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Allentown, PA $3,850
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,010 per month in Allentown, PA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Allentown, PA $5,010
Nosara $3,818

Allentown, PA costs about 46% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Allentown, PA and Nosara sit above the global median – Allentown, PA by 99%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.84 $19.84

$12.35 ₡5,539

60.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$61.2 ₡27.4K

45.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 $11.81

$7.52 ₡3,373

57.05%

Cappuccino

$5.74 $5.74

$4.41 ₡1,978

30.16%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$1.74 ₡780

52.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.31 ₡587

21.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.28 ₡1,471

55.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$4.47 ₡2,004

37.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.56 ₡701

-24.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.02 ₡1,355

-27.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.51 ₡1,125

-1.20%

Eggs

$3.75 $3.75

$3.57 ₡1,603

5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.65 $15.65

$7.43 ₡3,333

110.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 $8.14

$10.52 ₡4,717

-22.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.52 $18.52

$13.97 ₡6,265

32.57%

Apples (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$2.35 ₡1,052

191.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.61 ₡720

0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$4.80 ₡2,152

-39.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$1.61 ₡724

304.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.80 ₡1,703

-32.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.69 ₡1,657

-11.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.13 ₡507

98.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.66 ₡1,191

-6.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$5.18 ₡2,321

124.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.90 $14.90

$19.88 ₡8,916

-25.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.90 ₡1,300

-22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.63 ₡1,626

-25.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.12 ₡504

101.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.3 $60.3

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-16.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.14 ₡958

38.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.57 ₡703

36.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.76 $41.76

$8.52 ₡3,823

390.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.52 ₡682

-26.97%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

63.69%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.93%

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

$192 $192

$96.3 ₡43.2K

99.13%

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

$52.5 $52.5

$35.89 ₡16.1K

46.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 $71.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

33.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.65 $31.65

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-55.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.87 $24.87

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-28.76%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 $13.24

$7.89 ₡3,539

67.81%

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

$1,181 $1,181

$494 ₡221.6K

138.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

0.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.32 $39.32

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-27.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 $52.5

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-5.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 $88.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

13.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$79.6 ₡35.7K

50.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 $1,594

$788 ₡353.4K

102.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 $1,391

$794 ₡356.2K

75.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 $2,269

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-42.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 $2,044

$1,419 ₡636.5K

44.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,613 $2,613

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-62.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,210 $2,210

$1,224 ₡549.0K

80.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,888 $2,888

$864 ₡387.3K

234.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

8.62

-25.41%

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

Last update for Allentown, PA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Allentown, PA

$1.4K 51.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 42.9% $597

Groceries & Markets

Allentown, PA

$389 14.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 9.5% $37

Eating Out

Allentown, PA

$318 11.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 33.3% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Allentown, PA

$316 11.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 41.2% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Allentown, PA

$135 5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 11.1% $15

Getting Around

Allentown, PA

$83 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 4.9% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Allentown, PA

$58 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 50.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,594 in Allentown, PA versus $788 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 234% higher in Allentown, PA, 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 $89.0 in Allentown, PA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Allentown, PA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

11:38 11:38 AM

2 h behind Allentown, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,443

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Allentown, PA Nosara 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Allentown, PA
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

Allentown, PA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Allentown, PA costs about 46% 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 $4,036 per month in Allentown, PA and $2,758 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.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,181 per month in Allentown, PA and $494 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 $1,839, than in Allentown, PA at $2,691. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Allentown, PA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,691 in Allentown, PA. 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, Allentown, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.