Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,759 in Amherst, MA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, MA
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Amherst, MA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,759

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,759 in Amherst, MA versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Amherst, MA $2,759
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,250 in Amherst, MA versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Amherst, MA $4,250
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Amherst, MA versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Amherst, MA $5,742
Nosara $3,818

Living in Amherst, MA is roughly 50% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Amherst, MA 104% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$12.35 ₡5,539

64.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 $69.3

$61.2 ₡27.4K

13.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 $9.18

$7.52 ₡3,373

22.07%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$4.41 ₡1,978

10.20%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$1.74 ₡780

50.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.31 ₡587

48.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$3.28 ₡1,471

80.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.63 $10.63

$4.47 ₡2,004

137.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.56 ₡701

-32.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.02 ₡1,355

4.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$2.51 ₡1,125

183.67%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$3.57 ₡1,603

31.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 $16.30

$7.43 ₡3,333

119.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.68 $15.68

$10.52 ₡4,717

49.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.11 $18.11

$13.97 ₡6,265

29.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.35 ₡1,052

105.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.61 ₡720

-14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.80 ₡2,152

-32.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$1.61 ₡724

199.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.80 ₡1,703

-14.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.69 ₡1,657

-3.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.13 ₡507

95.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.66 ₡1,191

-23.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 $10.38

$5.18 ₡2,321

100.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 $12.16

$19.88 ₡8,916

-38.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.90 ₡1,300

-29.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.63 ₡1,626

8.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.12 ₡504

15.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.49 $27.49

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-62.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.14 ₡958

61.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.57 ₡703

-12.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.92 $29.92

$8.52 ₡3,823

251.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.52 ₡682

-39.47%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

69.03%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.08%

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

$207 $207

$96.3 ₡43.2K

115.46%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$35.89 ₡16.1K

58.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.5 $90.5

$53.6 ₡24.0K

68.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$71.6 ₡32.1K

67.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 $7.15

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-79.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.64 $10.64

$7.89 ₡3,539

34.85%

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

$1,513 $1,513

$494 ₡221.6K

206.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

41.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.36 $44.36

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-17.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.35 $40.35

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-27.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$77.9 ₡34.9K

15.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$79.6 ₡35.7K

34.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 $1,826

$788 ₡353.4K

131.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 $1,342

$794 ₡356.2K

68.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 $3,963

$3,939 ₡1.8M

0.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,419 ₡636.5K

88.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 $4,010

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-41.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,224 ₡549.0K

226.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,769 $4,769

$864 ₡387.3K

452.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

8.62

-29.23%

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

Last update for Amherst, MA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amherst, MA

$1.3K 48.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 40.8% $548

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, MA

$433 15.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 18.7% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, MA

$355 12.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 47.6% $169

Eating Out

Amherst, MA

$318 11.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 33.4% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, MA

$141 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 38% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, MA

$127 4.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 5.1% $6.5

Getting Around

Amherst, MA

$43 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 103% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,826 in Amherst, MA and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amherst, MA pays 452% 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: $69.0 in Amherst, MA vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, MA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:23 6:23 AM

04:23 4:23 AM

2 h behind Amherst, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

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

Amherst, MA Nosara 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Amherst, MA
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

Amherst, MA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 452% higher in Amherst, MA, 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: $1,826 in Amherst, MA versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,513 in Amherst, MA versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Amherst, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,759 in Amherst, MA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Amherst, MA. 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 Amherst, MA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Amherst, MA 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 50% less than in Amherst, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.