Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashland, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,658 in Ashland, MA, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

177

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, MA
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Ashland, MA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ashland, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,658

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,658 per month in Ashland, MA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Ashland, MA $3,658
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $4,726 per month in Ashland, MA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Ashland, MA $4,726
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,794 per month in Ashland, MA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Ashland, MA $5,794
Nosara $3,814

Ashland, MA costs about 99% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ashland, MA and Nosara sit above the global median – Ashland, MA by 170%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 $19.75

$12.34 ₡5,535

60.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 $75.5

$61.3 ₡27.5K

23.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 $13.23

$7.76 ₡3,481

70.49%

Cappuccino

$5.16 $5.16

$4.44 ₡1,992

16.22%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$1.79 ₡803

59.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.29 ₡580

98.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.24 ₡1,451

82.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.73 $8.73

$4.43 ₡1,985

97.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.55 ₡696

-32.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.08 ₡1,380

46.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$16.18 $16.18

$2.53 ₡1,133

539.53%

Eggs

$6.13 $6.13

$3.45 ₡1,546

77.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.68 $17.68

$7.32 ₡3,284

141.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$10.24 ₡4,594

2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.80 $18.80

$14.10 ₡6,326

33.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.29 ₡1,027

137.12%

Banana (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.64 ₡737

165.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$4.79 ₡2,149

-29.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.64 ₡735

85.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.85 ₡1,727

-42.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.75 ₡1,681

-33.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.09 ₡488

146.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.59 ₡1,160

11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.66 $13.66

$5.12 ₡2,295

166.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.90 $16.90

$19.92 ₡8,931

-15.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.80 ₡1,255

-34.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.52 ₡1,580

-19.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.17 ₡973

179.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.55 ₡697

-33.55%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.47%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-31.05%

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

$180 $180

$94.8 ₡42.5K

90.35%

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

$37.21 $37.21

$36.15 ₡16.2K

2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 $58.5

$53.1 ₡23.8K

10.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 $74.6

$73.8 ₡33.1K

1.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.11 $44.11

$35.63 ₡16.0K

23.80%

Cinema Ticket

$12.31 $12.31

$7.91 ₡3,548

55.63%

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

$2,112 $2,112

$490 ₡219.9K

330.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.70 $38.70

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-29.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.39 $16.39

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-70.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 $98.3

$80.4 ₡36.0K

22.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$77.9 ₡34.9K

28.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$801 ₡359.1K

163.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,339 $2,339

$790 ₡354.1K

196.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,923 $2,923

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-27.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,823 $2,823

$1,409 ₡632.0K

100.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,033 $5,033

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-28.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,385 $4,385

$1,236 ₡554.3K

254.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,931 $7,931

$887 ₡397.6K

794.55%

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 Ashland, MA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashland, MA

$2.3K 64%

Nosara

$790 43% 66.2% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Ashland, MA

$494 13.5%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 29.3% $145

Eating Out

Ashland, MA

$328 9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 35.2% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashland, MA

$276 7.6%

Nosara

$184 10% 33.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Ashland, MA

$114 3.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 6% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ashland, MA

$99 2.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 9.7% $9.6

Getting Around

Ashland, MA

$6.1 * 0.2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 1362% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,107 in Ashland, MA versus $801 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 795% higher in Ashland, MA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Ashland, MA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $494 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashland, MA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

09:17 9:17 AM

2 h behind Ashland, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,684

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Ashland, MA Nosara 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashland, MA
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

Ashland, MA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashland, MA costs about 99% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,486 per month in Ashland, MA and $2,753 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 $3,658 in Ashland, MA and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 99%.

Kindergarten costs $2,112 per month in Ashland, MA and $490 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 $1,835, than in Ashland, MA at $3,658. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashland, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $3,658 in Ashland, MA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Ashland, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.