Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,439 in Arlington, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, TX
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Arlington, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Arlington, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,439

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,439 in Arlington, TX versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Arlington, TX $2,439
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,647 in Arlington, TX versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Arlington, TX $3,647
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,855 in Arlington, TX versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Arlington, TX $4,855
Nosara $3,818

Living in Arlington, TX is roughly 33% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arlington, TX 81% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$12.35 ₡5,539

65.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 $55.3

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-9.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$7.52 ₡3,373

34.44%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$4.41 ₡1,978

10.20%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$1.74 ₡780

47.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.31 ₡587

74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.28 ₡1,471

64.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 $6.68

$4.47 ₡2,004

49.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.56 ₡701

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.02 ₡1,355

20.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.51 ₡1,125

109.56%

Eggs

$2.67 $2.67

$3.57 ₡1,603

-25.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 $10.60

$7.43 ₡3,333

42.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$10.52 ₡4,717

24.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.02 $18.02

$13.97 ₡6,265

28.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.35 ₡1,052

88.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.61 ₡720

65.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.80 ₡2,152

6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.61 ₡724

149.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.80 ₡1,703

-33.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.69 ₡1,657

-19.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.13 ₡507

68.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.66 ₡1,191

-22.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$5.18 ₡2,321

83.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 $12.03

$19.88 ₡8,916

-39.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.90 ₡1,300

-30.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.63 ₡1,626

-7.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.09 $6.09

$1.12 ₡504

443.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-44.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.14 ₡958

36.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.57 ₡703

8.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.81 $23.81

$8.52 ₡3,823

179.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.52 ₡682

-38.16%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

65.65%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.48%

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

$211 $211

$96.3 ₡43.2K

119.08%

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

$66.4 $66.4

$35.89 ₡16.1K

84.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$53.6 ₡24.0K

19.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.87 $40.87

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-42.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$7.89 ₡3,539

86.82%

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

$1,332 $1,332

$494 ₡221.6K

169.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K $28.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

139.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$53.9 ₡24.2K

14.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-8.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 $84.9

$77.9 ₡34.9K

8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$79.6 ₡35.7K

27.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$788 ₡353.4K

94.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 $1,112

$794 ₡356.2K

40.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-35.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 $2,031

$1,419 ₡636.5K

43.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 $2,173

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-68.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,217 $2,217

$1,224 ₡549.0K

81.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,699 $3,699

$864 ₡387.3K

328.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

8.62

-24.48%

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

Last update for Arlington, TX: 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

Arlington, TX

$1.1K 45.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 28.6% $318

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, TX

$393 16.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 10.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, TX

$341 14%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 45.6% $156

Eating Out

Arlington, TX

$311 12.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 32% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, TX

$135 5.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 10.7% $14

Getting Around

Arlington, TX

$76 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 14.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, TX

$70 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 24.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,536 in Arlington, TX and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, TX pays 328% 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: $55.0 in Arlington, TX vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $352, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

06:17 6:17 AM

1 h behind Arlington, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arlington, TX Nosara 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, TX
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

Arlington, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Arlington, TX. 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 328% higher in Arlington, TX, 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: $1,536 in Arlington, TX versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,439 per month in Arlington, TX versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 79% less than in Arlington, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,439 in Arlington, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Arlington, TX. 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, Arlington, TX 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 33% less than in Arlington, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.