Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barnstable, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,367 in Barnstable, MA, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barnstable, MA
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Barnstable, MA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Barnstable, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,367

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barnstable, MA versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Barnstable, MA $2,367
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,555 in Barnstable, MA versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Barnstable, MA $3,555
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,743 in Barnstable, MA versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Barnstable, MA $4,743
Nosara $3,712

Living in Barnstable, MA is roughly 29% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barnstable, MA 77% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 $18.12

$12.22 ₡5,509

48.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 $74.4

$60.2 ₡27.1K

23.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.54 ₡3,399

30.50%

Cappuccino

$3.92 $3.92

$4.31 ₡1,941

-9.05%

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

$2.18 $2.18

$1.72 ₡773

26.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.35 ₡608

28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 $5.15

$3.24 ₡1,459

58.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 $6.63

$4.48 ₡2,018

47.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.57 ₡707

-33.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.17 ₡1,429

-7.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.42 ₡1,091

73.55%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$3.57 ₡1,609

17.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$7.43 ₡3,349

-13.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$10.42 ₡4,697

-13.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.57 $8.57

$13.66 ₡6,156

-37.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.32 ₡1,044

84.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.61 ₡728

6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$4.74 ₡2,138

-8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.66 ₡747

106.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.72 ₡1,679

-42.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.57 ₡1,611

-37.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.10 ₡497

82.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.55 ₡1,149

-0.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.28 $12.28

$4.95 ₡2,232

148.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 $13.09

$20.01 ₡9,020

-34.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.79 ₡1,256

-22.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.53 ₡1,589

10.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.19 ₡537

65.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.39 $34.39

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-52.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.24 ₡1,011

60.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.55 ₡701

142.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.84 $25.84

$8.86 ₡3,993

191.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.57 ₡708

-31.21%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

70.89%

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

$23.9K $23.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-31.09%

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

$101 $101

$93.5 ₡42.1K

8.34%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$35.11 ₡15.8K

68.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$51.5 ₡23.2K

24.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.72 $41.72

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-41.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.22 $24.22

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-31.66%

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 $14.05

$7.84 ₡3,535

79.21%

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

$1,829 $1,829

$490 ₡220.7K

273.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K $30.5K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

156.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 $57.2

$53.5 ₡24.1K

6.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.12 $38.12

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-31.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-0.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$78.9 ₡35.6K

28.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$786 ₡354.3K

103.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 $1,294

$780 ₡351.6K

65.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 $2,461

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-36.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 $2,151

$1,407 ₡634.4K

52.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,770 $2,770

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-60.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,390 $2,390

$1,201 ₡541.3K

99.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,660 $4,660

$876 ₡395.0K

431.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Barnstable, MA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barnstable, MA

$1.3K 54.4%

Nosara

$780 43% 39.8% $515

Groceries & Markets

Barnstable, MA

$324 13.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 7.9% $25

Eating Out

Barnstable, MA

$276 11.6%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 24.1% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barnstable, MA

$224 9.4%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 19.8% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Barnstable, MA

$124 5.2%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 3.1% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Barnstable, MA

$70 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 24.7% $17

Getting Around

Barnstable, MA

$65 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 34.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,599 in Barnstable, MA and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnstable, MA pays 432% 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: $74.0 in Barnstable, MA vs $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $350, with Barnstable, MA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Barnstable, MA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

01:30 1:30 AM

2 h behind Barnstable, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,000

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

Barnstable, MA Nosara 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Barnstable, MA
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

Barnstable, MA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barnstable, MA and Nosara differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,837 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 432% higher in Barnstable, MA, 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: $1,599 in Barnstable, MA versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 110% less than in Barnstable, MA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,829 in Barnstable, MA versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,367 in Barnstable, MA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Barnstable, MA. 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, Barnstable, MA 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 29% less than in Barnstable, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.