Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashland, OR and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,565 in Ashland, OR, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ashland, OR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,565
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,565 in Ashland, OR versus $1,835 in Nosara.

  • Ashland, OR $2,565
  • Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,724 in Ashland, OR versus $2,825 in Nosara.

  • Ashland, OR $3,724
  • Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,883 in Ashland, OR versus $3,814 in Nosara.

  • Ashland, OR $4,883
  • Nosara $3,814

Living in Ashland, OR is roughly 40% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashland, OR 89% above, Nosara 35% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ashland, OR
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.25 $15.25
$12.34 ₡5,535
23.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.9 $68.9
$61.3 ₡27.5K
12.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.87 $9.87
$7.76 ₡3,481
27.19%
Cappuccino
$5.15 $5.15
$4.44 ₡1,992
15.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.79 ₡803
13.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.29 ₡580
38.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.86 $5.86
$3.24 ₡1,451
80.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.84 $7.84
$4.43 ₡1,985
76.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ashland, OR
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.84 $0.84
$1.55 ₡696
-45.81%
White Bread (500g)
$3.29 $3.29
$3.08 ₡1,380
6.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.91 $3.91
$2.53 ₡1,133
54.55%
Eggs
$1.76 $1.76
$3.45 ₡1,546
-48.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.11 $12.11
$7.32 ₡3,284
65.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.95 $10.95
$10.24 ₡4,594
6.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.07 $14.07
$14.10 ₡6,326
-0.21%
Apples (1kg)
$6.07 $6.07
$2.29 ₡1,027
165.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.64 ₡737
4.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.28 $3.28
$4.79 ₡2,149
-31.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.14 $5.14
$1.64 ₡735
213.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 $1.89
$3.85 ₡1,727
-50.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.63 $1.63
$3.75 ₡1,681
-56.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.09 ₡488
78.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.28 $3.28
$2.59 ₡1,160
26.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.90 $9.90
$5.12 ₡2,295
93.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.95 $8.95
$19.92 ₡8,931
-55.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$2.80 ₡1,255
-38.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 $2.34
$3.52 ₡1,580
-33.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Ashland, OR
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.22 ₡549
62.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.09 $4.09
$2.17 ₡973
88.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.55 $2.55
$1.56 ₡698
63.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.71 $44.71
$8.67 ₡3,886
415.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 $1.29
$1.55 ₡697
-16.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K $28.5K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-17.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K $24.3K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-37.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ashland, OR
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 $196
$94.8 ₡42.5K
106.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$77.6 $77.6
$36.15 ₡16.2K
114.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$84.7 $84.7
$53.1 ₡23.8K
59.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ashland, OR
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.42 $41.42
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-43.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.96 $13.96
$7.91 ₡3,548
76.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ashland, OR
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,106 $1,106
$490 ₡219.9K
125.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.4K $20.4K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
71.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ashland, OR
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.0 $62.0
$54.8 ₡24.6K
13.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$72.2 $72.2
$55.9 ₡25.1K
29.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.3 $89.3
$80.4 ₡36.0K
11.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 $122
$77.9 ₡34.9K
56.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ashland, OR
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,568 $1,568
$801 ₡359.1K
95.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,319 $1,319
$790 ₡354.1K
67.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,476 $2,476
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-38.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,188 $2,188
$1,409 ₡632.0K
55.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,710 $2,710
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-61.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,390 $2,390
$1,236 ₡554.3K
93.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ashland, OR
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$887 ₡397.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.78
8.62
-21.35%

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

Last update for Ashland, OR: 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, OR
$1.3K
Nosara
$790 40.1% $530
Groceries & Markets
Ashland, OR
$364
Nosara
$350 3.9% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ashland, OR
$358
Nosara
$184 48.7% $174
Eating Out
Ashland, OR
$274
Nosara
$213 22.3% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Ashland, OR
$155
Nosara
$121 22.1% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Ashland, OR
$69
Nosara
$90 29.2% $20
Getting Around
Ashland, OR
$25 *
Nosara
$89 258% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,568 in Ashland, OR and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Ashland, OR vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Ashland, OR
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
12:18 12:18 PM
13:18 1:18 PM
1 h ahead of Ashland, OR
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,684
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ashland, OR Nosara 5,080 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ashland, OR
  • 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, OR vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Ashland, OR?
Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,847 in Ashland, OR and $2,753 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Ashland, OR and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,568 in Ashland, OR versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,106 in Ashland, OR versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Ashland, OR or in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $69.0 in Ashland, OR. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Ashland, OR or in Nosara?
At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,565 in Ashland, OR, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Ashland, OR. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Ashland, OR or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ashland, OR, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Ashland, OR or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Ashland, OR 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Ashland, OR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ashland, OR vs other spots: cost of living compared

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