Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Andover, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,401 in Andover, MA, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Andover, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,401

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,401 per month in Andover, MA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Andover, MA $2,401
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,710 per month in Andover, MA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Andover, MA $3,710
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,019 per month in Andover, MA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Andover, MA $5,019
Nosara $3,814

Andover, MA costs about 31% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Andover, MA and Nosara sit above the global median – Andover, MA by 77%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.79 $20.79

$12.34 ₡5,535

68.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 $89.6

$61.3 ₡27.5K

46.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 $12.08

$7.76 ₡3,481

55.67%

Cappuccino

$4.07 $4.07

$4.44 ₡1,992

-8.33%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$1.79 ₡803

41.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.29 ₡580

14.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 $7.03

$3.24 ₡1,451

116.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 $7.59

$4.43 ₡1,985

71.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.55 ₡696

-2.58%

White Bread (500g)

$4.92 $4.92

$3.08 ₡1,380

59.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.53 ₡1,133

61.26%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$3.45 ₡1,546

21.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.67 $22.67

$7.32 ₡3,284

209.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$10.24 ₡4,594

26.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 $17.21

$14.10 ₡6,326

22.06%

Apples (1kg)

$7.25 $7.25

$2.29 ₡1,027

216.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.64 ₡737

29.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.79 ₡2,149

-4.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.64 ₡735

166.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.85 ₡1,727

-58.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.75 ₡1,681

-29.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.09 ₡488

7.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.59 ₡1,160

16.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.84 $13.84

$5.12 ₡2,295

170.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 $15.70

$19.92 ₡8,931

-21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.80 ₡1,255

-37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.52 ₡1,580

-43.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.22 ₡549

68.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.17 ₡973

177.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.56 ₡698

10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.35 $28.35

$8.67 ₡3,886

226.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.55 ₡697

-31.61%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.26%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-31.36%

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

$193 $193

$94.8 ₡42.5K

103.32%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$36.15 ₡16.2K

49.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 $53.7

$53.1 ₡23.8K

1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.57 $35.57

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-51.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 $13.09

$7.91 ₡3,548

65.49%

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

$825 $825

$490 ₡219.9K

68.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.2K $33.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

179.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 $57.7

$54.8 ₡24.6K

5.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.45 $38.45

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-31.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.0 $52.0

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-35.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 $78.9

$77.9 ₡34.9K

1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$801 ₡359.1K

96.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 $1,130

$790 ₡354.1K

43.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,801 $2,801

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-30.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,100 $2,100

$1,409 ₡632.0K

49.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,830 $2,830

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-59.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,214 $2,214

$1,236 ₡554.3K

79.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,729 $5,729

$887 ₡397.6K

546.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

8.62

-23.90%

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

Last update for Andover, MA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Andover, MA

$1.1K 47.1%

Nosara

$790 43% 30.1% $340

Groceries & Markets

Andover, MA

$466 19.4%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 25% $116

Eating Out

Andover, MA

$318 13.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 33.1% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Andover, MA

$301 12.5%

Nosara

$184 10% 38.8% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Andover, MA

$102 4.3%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 18.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Andover, MA

$62 2.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 45.1% $28

Getting Around

Andover, MA

$23 * 1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 289% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,578 in Andover, MA versus $801 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 546% higher in Andover, MA, 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 $90.0 in Andover, MA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $466 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Andover, MA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

04:12 4:12 AM

2 h behind Andover, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,475

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Andover, MA Nosara 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Andover, 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

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

Yes – Andover, MA is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,601 per month in Andover, MA and $2,753 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 $90.0 in Andover, MA 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 33% more in Andover, MA, 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 $1,835, than in Andover, MA at $2,401. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Andover, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Andover, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.