Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Austin, TX $2,704
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Austin, TX $4,133
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Austin, TX $5,562
Nosara $3,712

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 47% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$12.22 ₡5,509

65.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$60.2 ₡27.1K

41.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.54 ₡3,399

63.79%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.31 ₡1,941

26.91%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.72 ₡773

122.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.35 ₡608

85.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.24 ₡1,459

148.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.48 ₡2,018

100.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.57 ₡707

-28.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.17 ₡1,429

19.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.42 ₡1,091

34.30%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.57 ₡1,609

15.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.43 ₡3,349

76.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$10.42 ₡4,697

37.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.66 ₡6,156

16.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.32 ₡1,044

88.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.61 ₡728

-9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.74 ₡2,138

-4.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.66 ₡747

152.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.72 ₡1,679

-29.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.57 ₡1,611

-33.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.10 ₡497

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.55 ₡1,149

-15.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.95 ₡2,232

98.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$20.01 ₡9,020

-26.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.79 ₡1,256

-0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.53 ₡1,589

-1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.19 ₡537

25.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-43.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.24 ₡1,011

19.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.55 ₡701

1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$8.86 ₡3,993

298.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.57 ₡708

-36.94%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

64.21%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-21.54%

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

$219 $219

$93.5 ₡42.1K

134.64%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

65.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$51.5 ₡23.2K

32.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-18.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-58.18%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.84 ₡3,535

80.23%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$490 ₡220.7K

208.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

80.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-3.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-21.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$79.3 ₡35.7K

7.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$78.9 ₡35.6K

33.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$786 ₡354.3K

145.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$780 ₡351.6K

63.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-4.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,407 ₡634.4K

79.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$6,972 ₡3.1M

9.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,201 ₡541.3K

166.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$876 ₡395.0K

482.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.62

-21.23%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 38.7% $493

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 13.2% $53

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 39.8% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 47.9% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 6.5% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1.1% $0.9

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 52.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 483% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

19:06 7:06 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Nosara 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 483% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 78% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX 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 47% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.