Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beaufort, SC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,419 in Beaufort, SC, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Beaufort, SC
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Beaufort, SC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Beaufort, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,419

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,419 in Beaufort, SC versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Beaufort, SC $2,419
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,526 in Beaufort, SC versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Beaufort, SC $3,526
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,634 in Beaufort, SC versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Beaufort, SC $4,634
Nosara $3,814

Living in Beaufort, SC is roughly 32% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Beaufort, SC 78% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.65 $18.65

$12.34 ₡5,535

51.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$61.3 ₡27.5K

60.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 $11.38

$7.76 ₡3,481

46.65%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$4.44 ₡1,992

19.14%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$1.79 ₡803

33.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.29 ₡580

56.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.24 ₡1,451

17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 $4.03

$4.43 ₡1,985

-9.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.55 ₡696

-34.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.08 ₡1,380

6.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.53 ₡1,133

47.04%

Eggs

$3.93 $3.93

$3.45 ₡1,546

13.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$7.32 ₡3,284

19.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$10.24 ₡4,594

-39.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 $11.03

$14.10 ₡6,326

-21.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.29 ₡1,027

102.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.64 ₡737

-18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$4.79 ₡2,149

-21.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.64 ₡735

21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.85 ₡1,727

-35.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.75 ₡1,681

-42.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.09 ₡488

80.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.59 ₡1,160

-3.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.50 $9.50

$5.12 ₡2,295

85.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$19.92 ₡8,931

-24.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.80 ₡1,255

-24.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.52 ₡1,580

-9.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.17 ₡973

-32.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.56 ₡698

-28.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.01 $14.01

$8.67 ₡3,886

61.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.55 ₡697

-51.61%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.81%

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

$20.8K $20.8K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-46.20%

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

$93.9 $93.9

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-0.94%

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

$64.7 $64.7

$36.15 ₡16.2K

78.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$53.1 ₡23.8K

30.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.16 $25.16

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-65.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 $9.89

$7.91 ₡3,548

25.03%

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

$1,294 $1,294

$490 ₡219.9K

163.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K $12.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

1.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 $64.4

$54.8 ₡24.6K

17.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.36 $47.36

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-15.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$80.4 ₡36.0K

38.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 $154

$77.9 ₡34.9K

98.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 $1,516

$801 ₡359.1K

89.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 $1,361

$790 ₡354.1K

72.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,827 $2,827

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-29.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 $2,066

$1,409 ₡632.0K

46.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 $3,646

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-48.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,592 $3,592

$1,236 ₡554.3K

190.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,035 $4,035

$887 ₡397.6K

355.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

8.62

-22.39%

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

Last update for Beaufort, SC: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beaufort, SC

$1.4K 56.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 42% $571

Groceries & Markets

Beaufort, SC

$317 13.1%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 10.5% $33

Eating Out

Beaufort, SC

$292 12.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 27.1% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beaufort, SC

$228 9.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 19.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Beaufort, SC

$170 7%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 28.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Beaufort, SC

$45 1.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 99.4% $45

Getting Around

Beaufort, SC

$7.1 * 0.3%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 1150% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,516 in Beaufort, SC and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Beaufort, SC pays 355% 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: $99.0 in Beaufort, SC vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $350, with Beaufort, SC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Beaufort, SC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

04:56 4:56 AM

2 h behind Beaufort, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,029

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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Highest

Between locations

Beaufort, SC Nosara 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Beaufort, SC
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

Beaufort, SC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 355% higher in Beaufort, SC, 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: $1,516 in Beaufort, SC versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Beaufort, SC pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,419 per month in Beaufort, SC versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,419 in Beaufort, SC, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Beaufort, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Beaufort, SC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Beaufort, SC 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 32% less than in Beaufort, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.