Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, NY and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,595 in Amherst, NY, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Amherst, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,595

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,595 per month in Amherst, NY vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Amherst, NY $2,595
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,768 per month in Amherst, NY vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Amherst, NY $3,768
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,940 per month in Amherst, NY vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Amherst, NY $4,940
Nosara $3,818

Amherst, NY costs about 41% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Amherst, NY and Nosara sit above the global median – Amherst, NY by 92%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 $18.34

$12.35 ₡5,539

48.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$61.2 ₡27.4K

23.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$7.52 ₡3,373

62.37%

Cappuccino

$5.97 $5.97

$4.41 ₡1,978

35.37%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.74 ₡780

51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.31 ₡587

58.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 $7.05

$3.28 ₡1,471

114.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 $7.67

$4.47 ₡2,004

71.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.56 ₡701

-38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.02 ₡1,355

9.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.51 ₡1,125

73.31%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$3.57 ₡1,603

14.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 $11.17

$7.43 ₡3,333

50.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$10.52 ₡4,717

-4.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 $16.07

$13.97 ₡6,265

15.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.35 ₡1,052

108.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.61 ₡720

-14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.80 ₡2,152

-3.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$1.61 ₡724

222.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.80 ₡1,703

-29.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.69 ₡1,657

-18.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.13 ₡507

113.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.66 ₡1,191

-9.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.28 $14.28

$5.18 ₡2,321

175.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$19.88 ₡8,916

-24.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.90 ₡1,300

-29.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.63 ₡1,626

13.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.12 ₡504

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.14 ₡958

76.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.57 ₡703

38.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.49 $30.49

$8.52 ₡3,823

257.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.52 ₡682

-26.97%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

61.14%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.60%

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

$230 $230

$96.3 ₡43.2K

139.18%

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

$51.5 $51.5

$35.89 ₡16.1K

43.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 $67.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

25.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.68 $40.68

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-43.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.95 $19.95

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-42.85%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 $12.96

$7.89 ₡3,539

64.26%

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

$1,491 $1,491

$494 ₡221.6K

201.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K $17.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

50.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.32 $44.32

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-20.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 $97.2

$77.9 ₡34.9K

24.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$79.6 ₡35.7K

43.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$788 ₡353.4K

103.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 $1,306

$794 ₡356.2K

64.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 $2,483

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-36.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 $2,117

$1,419 ₡636.5K

49.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,696 $2,696

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-60.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,376 $2,376

$1,224 ₡549.0K

94.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,054 $4,054

$864 ₡387.3K

369.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

8.62

-24.36%

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

Last update for Amherst, NY: 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

Amherst, NY

$1.3K 50.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 39.2% $512

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, NY

$387 14.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 9% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, NY

$349 13.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 46.8% $163

Eating Out

Amherst, NY

$324 12.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 34.7% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, NY

$139 5.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 13.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, NY

$67 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 31.2% $21

Getting Around

Amherst, NY

$23 * 0.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 282% $64

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,601 in Amherst, NY 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 369% higher in Amherst, NY, 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 $76.0 in Amherst, NY versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, NY

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:27 2:27 AM

00:27 12:27 AM

2 h behind Amherst, NY

🌤 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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, NY Nosara 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Amherst, NY costs about 41% 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 $3,893 per month in Amherst, NY 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Amherst, NY and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Amherst, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Amherst, NY at $2,595. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amherst, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,595 in Amherst, NY. 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, Amherst, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.