Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburn, VA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,327 in Ashburn, VA, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

163

Cost of Living Index in Ashburn, VA
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Ashburn, VA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,327

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,327 in Ashburn, VA versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Ashburn, VA $3,327
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,551 in Ashburn, VA versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Ashburn, VA $4,551
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,776 in Ashburn, VA versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Ashburn, VA $5,776
Nosara $3,818

Living in Ashburn, VA is roughly 81% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashburn, VA 146% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.37 $28.37

$12.35 ₡5,539

129.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.4 $89.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

46.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 $13.16

$7.52 ₡3,373

75.00%

Cappuccino

$6.11 $6.11

$4.41 ₡1,978

38.55%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$1.74 ₡780

71.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.31 ₡587

104.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.28 ₡1,471

145.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$4.47 ₡2,004

122.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.56 ₡701

-27.56%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.02 ₡1,355

35.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.51 ₡1,125

109.16%

Eggs

$5.60 $5.60

$3.57 ₡1,603

56.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.93 $16.93

$7.43 ₡3,333

127.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.24 $15.24

$10.52 ₡4,717

44.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.88 $18.88

$13.97 ₡6,265

35.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$2.35 ₡1,052

137.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.61 ₡720

39.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$4.80 ₡2,152

35.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$1.61 ₡724

267.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.80 ₡1,703

-24.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.69 ₡1,657

7.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.13 ₡507

100.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.66 ₡1,191

3.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$5.18 ₡2,321

89.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$19.88 ₡8,916

-18.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.90 ₡1,300

-22.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.63 ₡1,626

25.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.12 ₡504

97.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.0 $73.0

$72.6 ₡32.6K

0.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.14 ₡958

38.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.57 ₡703

-6.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.68 $22.68

$8.52 ₡3,823

166.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.52 ₡682

-34.87%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

65.11%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.64%

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

$161 $161

$96.3 ₡43.2K

66.92%

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

$68.0 $68.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

89.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.6 $77.6

$53.6 ₡24.0K

44.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 $62.2

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-13.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 $11.99

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-65.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 $17.98

$7.89 ₡3,539

127.88%

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

$1,641 $1,641

$494 ₡221.6K

232.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K $31.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

167.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-0.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.74 $44.74

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-19.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$77.9 ₡34.9K

28.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$79.6 ₡35.7K

59.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 $1,980

$788 ₡353.4K

151.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,773 $1,773

$794 ₡356.2K

123.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,102 $4,102

$3,939 ₡1.8M

4.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 $2,246

$1,419 ₡636.5K

58.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,006 $3,006

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-56.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,079 $3,079

$1,224 ₡549.0K

151.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,570 $7,570

$864 ₡387.3K

776.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

8.62

-20.88%

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

Last update for Ashburn, VA: 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

Ashburn, VA

$1.8K 53.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 55.2% $979

Groceries & Markets

Ashburn, VA

$488 14.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 27.8% $135

Eating Out

Ashburn, VA

$423 12.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 49.9% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashburn, VA

$306 9.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 39.4% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Ashburn, VA

$147 4.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 18.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Ashburn, VA

$98 3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 11% $11

Getting Around

Ashburn, VA

$92 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 5.5% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,980 in Ashburn, VA and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashburn, VA pays 777% 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: $89.0 in Ashburn, VA vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashburn, VA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

06:19 6:19 AM

2 h behind Ashburn, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,511

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

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Highest

Between locations

Ashburn, VA Nosara 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ashburn, VA
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

Ashburn, VA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashburn, VA and Nosara differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($3,327 vs $1,839 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 777% higher in Ashburn, VA, 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: $1,980 in Ashburn, VA versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,641 in Ashburn, VA versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Ashburn, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,327 in Ashburn, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Ashburn, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ashburn, VA 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 81% less than in Ashburn, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.