Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alpharetta, GA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Alpharetta, GA $3,015
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,418 in Alpharetta, GA versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Alpharetta, GA $4,418
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,822 in Alpharetta, GA versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Alpharetta, GA $5,822
Nosara $3,818

Living in Alpharetta, GA is roughly 64% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alpharetta, GA 123% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.92 $25.92

$12.35 ₡5,539

109.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

32.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$7.52 ₡3,373

30.59%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$4.41 ₡1,978

10.43%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$1.74 ₡780

44.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.31 ₡587

61.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 $5.78

$3.28 ₡1,471

76.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$4.47 ₡2,004

65.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.56 ₡701

-40.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.25 $4.25

$3.02 ₡1,355

40.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$2.51 ₡1,125

128.29%

Eggs

$4.58 $4.58

$3.57 ₡1,603

28.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$7.43 ₡3,333

53.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 $8.73

$10.52 ₡4,717

-17.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.39 $20.39

$13.97 ₡6,265

45.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.35 ₡1,052

96.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.61 ₡720

32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$4.80 ₡2,152

-11.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.61 ₡724

173.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.80 ₡1,703

-3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.69 ₡1,657

0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.13 ₡507

111.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.66 ₡1,191

4.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$5.18 ₡2,321

72.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$19.88 ₡8,916

-25.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.90 ₡1,300

-40.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.63 ₡1,626

7.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.12 ₡504

162.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 $94.2

$72.6 ₡32.6K

29.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.14 ₡958

43.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.57 ₡703

50.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 $40.78

$8.52 ₡3,823

378.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.52 ₡682

-40.79%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

50.20%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-23.86%

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

$252 $252

$96.3 ₡43.2K

161.67%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$35.89 ₡16.1K

49.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.4 $87.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

63.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 $34.02

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-52.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 $22.25

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-36.26%

Cinema Ticket

$16.81 $16.81

$7.89 ₡3,539

113.05%

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

$1,298 $1,298

$494 ₡221.6K

162.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

35.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 $77.0

$53.9 ₡24.2K

42.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 $44.98

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-18.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$77.9 ₡34.9K

63.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$79.6 ₡35.7K

74.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 $2,105

$788 ₡353.4K

167.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 $1,488

$794 ₡356.2K

87.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,000 $3,000

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-23.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 $2,491

$1,419 ₡636.5K

75.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,659 $7,659

$6,912 ₡3.1M

10.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 $5,366

$1,224 ₡549.0K

338.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,390 $6,390

$864 ₡387.3K

639.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

8.62

-20.65%

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

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: 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

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 49.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 46.6% $693

Groceries & Markets

Alpharetta, GA

$414 13.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 14.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alpharetta, GA

$393 13%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 52.7% $207

Eating Out

Alpharetta, GA

$357 11.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 40.7% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 31.3% $55

Getting Around

Alpharetta, GA

$121 4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 27.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Alpharetta, GA

$68 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 29.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 640% 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: $81.0 in Alpharetta, GA vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:19 12:19 PM

10:19 10:19 AM

2 h behind Alpharetta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,799

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

Alpharetta, GA Nosara 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Alpharetta, GA
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

Alpharetta, GA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 640% higher in Alpharetta, GA, 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: $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 30% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,298 in Alpharetta, GA versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Alpharetta, GA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Alpharetta, GA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Alpharetta, GA 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 64% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.