Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apple Valley, MN and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Apple Valley, MN
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Apple Valley, MN Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Apple Valley, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,529

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,529 per month in Apple Valley, MN vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Apple Valley, MN $2,529
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,697 per month in Apple Valley, MN vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Apple Valley, MN $3,697
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,864 per month in Apple Valley, MN vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Apple Valley, MN $4,864
Nosara $3,818

Apple Valley, MN costs about 38% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Apple Valley, MN and Nosara sit above the global median – Apple Valley, MN by 87%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 $20.26

$12.35 ₡5,539

64.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 $74.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

21.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 $11.15

$7.52 ₡3,373

48.27%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$4.41 ₡1,978

39.68%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$1.74 ₡780

58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.31 ₡587

78.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 $7.10

$3.28 ₡1,471

116.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$4.47 ₡2,004

81.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.56 ₡701

-41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.02 ₡1,355

3.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.51 ₡1,125

48.21%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$3.57 ₡1,603

3.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$7.43 ₡3,333

40.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 $12.21

$10.52 ₡4,717

16.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 $18.87

$13.97 ₡6,265

35.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$2.35 ₡1,052

142.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.61 ₡720

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.80 ₡2,152

-5.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$1.61 ₡724

213.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.80 ₡1,703

-40.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.69 ₡1,657

2.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.13 ₡507

106.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.66 ₡1,191

-0.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 $10.94

$5.18 ₡2,321

111.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.90 $14.90

$19.88 ₡8,916

-25.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.90 ₡1,300

-39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.63 ₡1,626

-19.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.12 ₡504

58.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 $5.01

$2.14 ₡958

134.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.57 ₡703

10.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.89 $23.89

$8.52 ₡3,823

180.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.52 ₡682

-31.58%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

65.76%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.75%

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

$165 $165

$96.3 ₡43.2K

71.14%

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

$49.02 $49.02

$35.89 ₡16.1K

36.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 $58.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

8.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.38 $42.38

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-40.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 $14.23

$7.89 ₡3,539

80.35%

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

$1,371 $1,371

$494 ₡221.6K

177.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K $36.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

208.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 $57.8

$53.9 ₡24.2K

7.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 $44.79

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-19.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 $74.2

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-4.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 $83.5

$79.6 ₡35.7K

4.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 $1,491

$788 ₡353.4K

89.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$794 ₡356.2K

64.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 $2,476

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-37.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,116 $2,116

$1,419 ₡636.5K

49.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,920 $2,920

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-57.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,246 $2,246

$1,224 ₡549.0K

83.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

8.62

-23.32%

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

Last update for Apple Valley, MN: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Apple Valley, MN

$1.3K 51.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 39.2% $512

Groceries & Markets

Apple Valley, MN

$400 15.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 11.9% $48

Eating Out

Apple Valley, MN

$342 13.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 38% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Apple Valley, MN

$272 10.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 31.8% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Apple Valley, MN

$117 4.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 2.6% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Apple Valley, MN

$71 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 23.4% $17

Getting Around

Apple Valley, MN

$21 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 318% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,491 in Apple Valley, MN 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Apple Valley, MN versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Apple Valley, MN

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

19:43 7:43 PM

1 h behind Apple Valley, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,109

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

Apple Valley, MN Nosara 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Apple Valley, MN
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

Apple Valley, MN vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,794 per month in Apple Valley, MN 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 38%.

Kindergarten costs $1,371 per month in Apple Valley, MN and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Apple Valley, MN at $2,529. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Apple Valley, MN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Apple Valley, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.