Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astoria, NY and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,298 in Astoria, NY, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Astoria, NY
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Astoria, NY Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Astoria, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,298

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,298 in Astoria, NY versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Astoria, NY $3,298
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,650 in Astoria, NY versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Astoria, NY $4,650
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,002 in Astoria, NY versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Astoria, NY $6,002
Nosara $3,818

Living in Astoria, NY is roughly 79% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Astoria, NY 144% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.30 $19.30

$12.35 ₡5,539

56.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$61.2 ₡27.4K

31.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 $10.12

$7.52 ₡3,373

34.57%

Cappuccino

$4.56 $4.56

$4.41 ₡1,978

3.40%

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

$1.69 $1.69

$1.74 ₡780

-2.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.31 ₡587

43.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.28 ₡1,471

55.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.47 ₡2,004

79.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.56 ₡701

-27.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.02 ₡1,355

26.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.51 ₡1,125

46.22%

Eggs

$3.52 $3.52

$3.57 ₡1,603

-1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.75 $16.75

$7.43 ₡3,333

125.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 $9.07

$10.52 ₡4,717

-13.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 $13.37

$13.97 ₡6,265

-4.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.35 ₡1,052

74.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.61 ₡720

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$4.80 ₡2,152

-46.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.61 ₡724

146.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.80 ₡1,703

-35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.69 ₡1,657

-33.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.13 ₡507

80.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.66 ₡1,191

-6.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.17 $15.17

$5.18 ₡2,321

192.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.30 $20.30

$19.88 ₡8,916

2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.63 ₡1,626

-6.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.12 ₡504

174.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$72.6 ₡32.6K

91.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.14 ₡958

37.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.57 ₡703

35.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.52 $41.52

$8.52 ₡3,823

387.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.52 ₡682

-38.82%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

62.67%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.89%

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

$113 $113

$96.3 ₡43.2K

17.63%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$35.89 ₡16.1K

59.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-5.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.62 $45.62

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-36.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$20.18 $20.18

$7.89 ₡3,539

155.77%

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

$2,578 $2,578

$494 ₡221.6K

421.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K $34.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

193.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.10 $25.10

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-53.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.11 $20.11

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-63.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.80 $29.80

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-61.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.9 $50.9

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-36.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 $2,347

$788 ₡353.4K

197.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 $2,091

$794 ₡356.2K

163.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,812 $3,812

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-3.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,225 $3,225

$1,419 ₡636.5K

127.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

8.62

-25.17%

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

Last update for Astoria, NY: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Astoria, NY

$2.1K 63.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 62% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Astoria, NY

$382 11.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 7.9% $30

Eating Out

Astoria, NY

$295 9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 28.2% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astoria, NY

$221 6.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 16.1% $36

Getting Around

Astoria, NY

$165 5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 47.3% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Astoria, NY

$86 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1.6% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Astoria, NY

$57 1.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 112% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,347 in Astoria, NY and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Astoria, NY vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Astoria, NY

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

07:40 7:40 AM

2 h behind Astoria, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,165

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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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Between locations

Astoria, NY Nosara 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Astoria, NY
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

Astoria, NY vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Astoria, NY and Nosara differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($3,298 vs $1,839 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,947 in Astoria, NY and $2,758 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,347 in Astoria, NY versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,298 per month in Astoria, NY versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 92% less than in Astoria, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,298 in Astoria, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Astoria, NY. 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, Astoria, NY 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 79% less than in Astoria, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.