Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Annapolis, MD and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,458 in Annapolis, MD, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Annapolis, MD
Learn more

Annapolis, MD Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Annapolis, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,458

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,458 in Annapolis, MD versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Annapolis, MD $3,458
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,748 in Annapolis, MD versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Annapolis, MD $4,748
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,038 in Annapolis, MD versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Annapolis, MD $6,038
Nosara $3,818

Living in Annapolis, MD is roughly 88% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Annapolis, MD 156% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.17 $30.17

$12.35 ₡5,539

144.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 $80.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

30.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 $10.12

$7.52 ₡3,373

34.57%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$4.41 ₡1,978

27.44%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$1.74 ₡780

46.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.31 ₡587

46.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.28 ₡1,471

112.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$4.47 ₡2,004

96.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.56 ₡701

-27.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.02 ₡1,355

-0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$2.51 ₡1,125

117.93%

Eggs

$6.38 $6.38

$3.57 ₡1,603

78.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 $9.63

$7.43 ₡3,333

29.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 $7.78

$10.52 ₡4,717

-26.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$13.97 ₡6,265

8.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.35 ₡1,052

149.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.61 ₡720

21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.80 ₡2,152

-4.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$1.61 ₡724

349.69%

Potato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.80 ₡1,703

12.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$3.69 ₡1,657

30.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.13 ₡507

131.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.66 ₡1,191

-38.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 $9.36

$5.18 ₡2,321

80.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 $14.68

$19.88 ₡8,916

-26.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.90 ₡1,300

-39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.63 ₡1,626

5.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.12 ₡504

264.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 $138

$72.6 ₡32.6K

90.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.14 ₡958

42.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.57 ₡703

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.54 $29.54

$8.52 ₡3,823

246.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.52 ₡682

-38.82%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

43.50%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.65%

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

$162 $162

$96.3 ₡43.2K

68.01%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

50.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.1 $96.1

$53.6 ₡24.0K

79.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.1 $66.1

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-7.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 $12.05

$7.89 ₡3,539

52.72%

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

$1,661 $1,661

$494 ₡221.6K

236.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K $19.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

66.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.76 $42.76

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-20.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.53 $24.53

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-55.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$77.9 ₡34.9K

17.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$79.6 ₡35.7K

52.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 $2,092

$788 ₡353.4K

165.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 $1,959

$794 ₡356.2K

146.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,211 $3,211

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-18.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,707 $2,707

$1,419 ₡636.5K

90.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,555 $5,555

$864 ₡387.3K

543.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

8.62

-29.47%

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

Last update for Annapolis, MD: 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

Annapolis, MD

$2K 56.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 59.5% $1.2K

Eating Out

Annapolis, MD

$410 11.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 48.3% $198

Groceries & Markets

Annapolis, MD

$396 11.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 10.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Annapolis, MD

$312 9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 40.4% $126

Getting Around

Annapolis, MD

$166 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 47.4% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Annapolis, MD

$126 3.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 4.7% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Annapolis, MD

$90 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 3.1% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,092 in Annapolis, MD and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Annapolis, MD pays 543% 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: $80.0 in Annapolis, MD vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Annapolis, MD

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

13:03 1:03 PM

2 h behind Annapolis, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,408

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

Annapolis, MD Nosara 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Annapolis, MD
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

Annapolis, MD vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Annapolis, MD. 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 543% higher in Annapolis, MD, 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: $2,092 in Annapolis, MD versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,458 per month in Annapolis, MD versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 91% less than in Annapolis, MD. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,458 in Annapolis, MD, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Annapolis, MD. 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, Annapolis, MD 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 88% less than in Annapolis, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.