Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Artesia, NM and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,398 in Artesia, NM, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Artesia, NM
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Artesia, NM Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Artesia, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,398

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,398 in Artesia, NM versus $1,844 in Nosara.

Artesia, NM $2,398
Nosara $1,844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,235 in Artesia, NM versus $2,817 in Nosara.

Artesia, NM $3,235
Nosara $2,817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,071 in Artesia, NM versus $3,790 in Nosara.

Artesia, NM $4,071
Nosara $3,790

Living in Artesia, NM is roughly 30% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Artesia, NM 77% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.23 $16.23

$12.38 ₡5,568

31.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.57 $47.57

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-21.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$7.81 ₡3,513

51.60%

Cappuccino

$6.24 $6.24

$4.37 ₡1,966

42.79%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$1.78 ₡800

30.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.35 ₡605

17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.39 ₡1,526

78.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.31 ₡1,939

62.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.55 ₡699

-47.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.17 ₡1,425

-9.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.51 ₡1,130

-1.59%

Eggs

$3.40 $3.40

$3.53 ₡1,585

-3.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$7.37 ₡3,313

60.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 $11.56

$10.46 ₡4,703

10.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 $12.92

$13.91 ₡6,255

-7.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.26 ₡1,018

56.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.56 ₡701

-9.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$4.70 ₡2,113

-46.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.62 ₡729

122.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.88 ₡1,746

-44.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.79 ₡1,704

-27.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.07 ₡481

65.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.61 ₡1,174

-37.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 $9.91

$5.16 ₡2,319

92.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 $9.34

$20.33 ₡9,143

-54.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.91 ₡1,310

-27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.67 ₡1,651

32.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.31 ₡588

41.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.9 $58.9

$73.2 ₡32.9K

-19.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.19 ₡984

-22.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.84 ₡829

-26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.83 $26.83

$7.81 ₡3,513

243.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.56 ₡702

-38.46%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-19.27%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-32.49%

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

$147 $147

$95.9 ₡43.1K

53.63%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$35.37 ₡15.9K

103.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$53.7 ₡24.1K

24.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.20 $40.20

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-40.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.79 $7.79

$7.72 ₡3,473

0.91%

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

$696 $696

$496 ₡222.8K

40.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

0.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.18 $37.18

$54.6 ₡24.6K

-31.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.45 $36.45

$55.0 ₡24.7K

-33.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 $85.4

$79.8 ₡35.9K

6.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 $81.4

$77.9 ₡35.0K

4.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 $1,518

$817 ₡367.5K

85.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 $1,249

$800 ₡359.7K

56.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-45.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 $1,623

$1,396 ₡627.6K

16.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,838 $2,838

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-59.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,361 $2,361

$1,222 ₡549.6K

93.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,513 $3,513

$879 ₡395.3K

299.62%

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 Artesia, NM: November 2, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Artesia, NM

$1.2K 52.1%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 35.9% $449

Groceries & Markets

Artesia, NM

$324 13.5%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 8.7% $28

Eating Out

Artesia, NM

$300 12.5%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 29% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Artesia, NM

$286 11.9%

Nosara

$185 10% 35.4% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Artesia, NM

$108 4.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 11.2% $12

Getting Around

Artesia, NM

$75 3.1%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 20.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Artesia, NM

$56 2.3%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 48.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,518 in Artesia, NM and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Artesia, NM pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Artesia, NM vs $61 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $353 per month, with Artesia, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Artesia, NM

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

08:39 8:39 AM

1 h ahead of Artesia, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,522

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Artesia, NM Nosara 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Artesia, NM
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

Artesia, NM vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Artesia, NM. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Artesia, NM is about 4 times higher, 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: $1,518 in Artesia, NM versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Artesia, NM versus $496 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Artesia, NM pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Nosara wins on affordability, Artesia, NM on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.