Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,142 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Ames, IA $2,142
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Ames, IA $3,242
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Ames, IA $4,342
Nosara $3,818

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 16% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 59% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$12.35 ₡5,539

46.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-14.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$7.52 ₡3,373

61.97%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$4.41 ₡1,978

10.43%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.74 ₡780

49.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.31 ₡587

71.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.28 ₡1,471

23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$4.47 ₡2,004

52.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.56 ₡701

-42.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.02 ₡1,355

17.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.51 ₡1,125

29.88%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$3.57 ₡1,603

-6.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$7.43 ₡3,333

35.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$10.52 ₡4,717

29.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$13.97 ₡6,265

36.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.35 ₡1,052

150.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.61 ₡720

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.80 ₡2,152

39.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$1.61 ₡724

224.22%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.80 ₡1,703

19.47%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.69 ₡1,657

10.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.13 ₡507

105.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.66 ₡1,191

-8.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$5.18 ₡2,321

151.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$19.88 ₡8,916

-18.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.90 ₡1,300

-1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.63 ₡1,626

37.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.12 ₡504

-11.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-51.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.14 ₡958

137.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.57 ₡703

7.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$8.52 ₡3,823

183.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.52 ₡682

-36.84%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

14.47%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.36%

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

$176 $176

$96.3 ₡43.2K

83.09%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$35.89 ₡16.1K

51.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$53.6 ₡24.0K

32.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-3.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-43.45%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$7.89 ₡3,539

102.41%

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

$1,370 $1,370

$494 ₡221.6K

177.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

204.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$53.9 ₡24.2K

8.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-19.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$77.9 ₡34.9K

15.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$79.6 ₡35.7K

31.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$788 ₡353.4K

27.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$794 ₡356.2K

3.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-52.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,419 ₡636.5K

6.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-64.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$1,224 ₡549.0K

78.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$864 ₡387.3K

316.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

8.62

-25.64%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: 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

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 3.4% $28

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 19.3% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 38.4% $116

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 27.8% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 10.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 13.5% $14

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 64.1% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 317% 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: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $436 vs $352, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

12:29 12:29 PM

1 h behind Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Ames, IA Nosara 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
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

Ames, IA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 317% higher in Ames, IA, 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: $1,005 in Ames, IA 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 104% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA 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 $2,142 in Ames, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ames, IA 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 16% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.