Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atlantic City, NJ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Atlantic City, NJ
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Atlantic City, NJ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Atlantic City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,821

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Atlantic City, NJ $2,821
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,228 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Atlantic City, NJ $4,228
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,635 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Atlantic City, NJ $5,635
Nosara $3,814

Living in Atlantic City, NJ is roughly 54% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Atlantic City, NJ 108% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$12.34 ₡5,535

59.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.1 $98.1

$61.3 ₡27.5K

60.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 $11.30

$7.76 ₡3,481

45.62%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$4.44 ₡1,992

22.30%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$1.79 ₡803

27.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.29 ₡580

55.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.24 ₡1,451

87.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$4.43 ₡1,985

98.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.55 ₡696

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.08 ₡1,380

9.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.27 $7.27

$2.53 ₡1,133

187.35%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$3.45 ₡1,546

22.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 $11.18

$7.32 ₡3,284

52.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.67 $16.67

$10.24 ₡4,594

62.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.14 $20.14

$14.10 ₡6,326

42.84%

Apples (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$2.29 ₡1,027

229.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.64 ₡737

125.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$4.79 ₡2,149

12.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$1.64 ₡735

257.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.85 ₡1,727

3.38%

Onion (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.75 ₡1,681

26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.09 ₡488

133.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.59 ₡1,160

-5.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 $14.24

$5.12 ₡2,295

178.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 $13.27

$19.92 ₡8,931

-33.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.80 ₡1,255

-5.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.52 ₡1,580

-3.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.22 ₡549

149.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 $88.3

$73.9 ₡33.1K

19.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.17 ₡973

37.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.56 ₡698

35.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.73 $42.73

$8.67 ₡3,886

392.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.55 ₡697

-38.06%

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

$20.4K $20.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-41.03%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-35.93%

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

$250 $250

$94.8 ₡42.5K

163.76%

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

$61.2 $61.2

$36.15 ₡16.2K

69.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 $61.0

$53.1 ₡23.8K

15.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.59 $29.59

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-59.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 $50.1

$35.63 ₡16.0K

40.58%

Cinema Ticket

$16.78 $16.78

$7.91 ₡3,548

112.14%

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

$503 $503

$490 ₡219.9K

2.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,031 $7,031

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-40.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 $70.5

$54.8 ₡24.6K

28.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.78 $31.78

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-43.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$80.4 ₡36.0K

51.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$77.9 ₡34.9K

54.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 $1,737

$801 ₡359.1K

116.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$790 ₡354.1K

65.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,320 $2,320

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-42.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,175 $2,175

$1,409 ₡632.0K

54.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,255 $4,255

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-39.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,212 $4,212

$1,236 ₡554.3K

240.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,017 $4,017

$887 ₡397.6K

353.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

8.62

-22.62%

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

Last update for Atlantic City, NJ: 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

Atlantic City, NJ

$1.3K 46.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 39.6% $518

Groceries & Markets

Atlantic City, NJ

$488 17.3%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 28.3% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atlantic City, NJ

$372 13.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 50.6% $188

Eating Out

Atlantic City, NJ

$322 11.4%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 34% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Atlantic City, NJ

$155 5.5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 21.8% $34

Getting Around

Atlantic City, NJ

$114 4%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 22.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Atlantic City, NJ

$63 2.2%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 41.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,737 in Atlantic City, NJ and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atlantic City, NJ pays 353% 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: $98.0 in Atlantic City, NJ vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Atlantic City, NJ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:00 6:00 PM

16:00 4:00 PM

2 h behind Atlantic City, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,958

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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Between locations

Atlantic City, NJ Nosara 3,450 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Atlantic City, NJ
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

Atlantic City, NJ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Atlantic City, NJ and Nosara differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $1,835 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 353% higher in Atlantic City, NJ, 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: $1,737 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Atlantic City, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $98.0 in Atlantic City, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Atlantic City, NJ. 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, Atlantic City, NJ 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 54% less than in Atlantic City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.