Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens, GA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,200 in Athens, GA, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Athens, GA
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Athens, GA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Athens, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,200

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,200 per month in Athens, GA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Athens, GA $2,200
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,313 per month in Athens, GA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Athens, GA $3,313
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,426 per month in Athens, GA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Athens, GA $4,426
Nosara $3,814

Athens, GA costs about 20% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Athens, GA and Nosara sit above the global median – Athens, GA by 62%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.19 $13.19

$12.34 ₡5,535

6.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 $63.7

$61.3 ₡27.5K

3.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 $10.36

$7.76 ₡3,481

33.51%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$4.44 ₡1,992

28.38%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.79 ₡803

63.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.29 ₡580

71.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 $7.52

$3.24 ₡1,451

132.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 $7.79

$4.43 ₡1,985

75.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.55 ₡696

-47.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.08 ₡1,380

-4.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$2.53 ₡1,133

159.68%

Eggs

$3.27 $3.27

$3.45 ₡1,546

-5.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$7.32 ₡3,284

20.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 $10.55

$10.24 ₡4,594

3.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 $14.58

$14.10 ₡6,326

3.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.29 ₡1,027

160.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.64 ₡737

-17.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$4.79 ₡2,149

30.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.64 ₡735

188.41%

Potato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.85 ₡1,727

9.35%

Onion (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.75 ₡1,681

10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.09 ₡488

140.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.59 ₡1,160

-23.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.03 $9.03

$5.12 ₡2,295

76.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.65 $18.65

$19.92 ₡8,931

-6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.80 ₡1,255

-36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.52 ₡1,580

68.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.58 $15.58

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-78.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.55 ₡697

-35.48%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-17.91%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-30.45%

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

$285 $285

$94.8 ₡42.5K

200.06%

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

$41.91 $41.91

$36.15 ₡16.2K

15.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.7 $79.7

$53.1 ₡23.8K

50.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.05 $25.05

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-66.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.80 $7.80

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-78.11%

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 $12.95

$7.91 ₡3,548

63.72%

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

$872 $872

$490 ₡219.9K

77.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,396 $9,396

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-20.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 $54.8

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-0.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 $31.97

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-42.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.6 $64.6

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-19.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.5 $54.5

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-30.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 $1,340

$801 ₡359.1K

67.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 $957

$790 ₡354.1K

21.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,322 $2,322

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-42.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$1,409 ₡632.0K

32.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,420 $2,420

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-65.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,230 $2,230

$1,236 ₡554.3K

80.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 $3,487

$887 ₡397.6K

293.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

8.62

-22.04%

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

Last update for Athens, GA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens, GA

$957 43.5%

Nosara

$790 43% 17.5% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens, GA

$406 18.5%

Nosara

$184 10% 54.7% $222

Groceries & Markets

Athens, GA

$399 18.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 12.5% $50

Eating Out

Athens, GA

$279 12.7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 23.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Athens, GA

$93 4.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 30.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Athens, GA

$51 2.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 75.9% $39

Getting Around

Athens, GA

$16 * 0.7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 470% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,340 in Athens, GA 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 293% higher in Athens, GA, 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 $64.0 in Athens, GA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Athens, GA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

02:04 2:04 AM

2 h behind Athens, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,452

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Athens, GA Nosara 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Athens, GA
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

Athens, GA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Athens, GA is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,300 per month in Athens, GA 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.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Athens, GA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Athens, GA and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Athens, GA at $2,200. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Athens, GA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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