Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen County, NJ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $4,307 in Bergen County, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $29,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

209

Cost of Living Index in Bergen County, NJ
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Bergen County, NJ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Bergen County, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$4,307

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,307 in Bergen County, NJ versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Bergen County, NJ $4,307
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,455 in Bergen County, NJ versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Bergen County, NJ $5,455
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,603 in Bergen County, NJ versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Bergen County, NJ $6,603
Nosara $3,818

Living in Bergen County, NJ is roughly 134% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen County, NJ 219% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.28 $22.28

$12.35 ₡5,539

80.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 $85.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

39.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.69 $12.69

$7.52 ₡3,373

68.75%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$4.41 ₡1,978

16.33%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.74 ₡780

74.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.31 ₡587

68.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 $8.11

$3.28 ₡1,471

147.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$4.47 ₡2,004

83.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.56 ₡701

-5.77%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.02 ₡1,355

46.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.41 $7.41

$2.51 ₡1,125

195.22%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$3.57 ₡1,603

43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$7.43 ₡3,333

66.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$10.52 ₡4,717

14.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.75 $17.75

$13.97 ₡6,265

27.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.35 ₡1,052

128.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.61 ₡720

-1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$4.80 ₡2,152

9.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$1.61 ₡724

212.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.80 ₡1,703

-27.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.69 ₡1,657

-14.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.13 ₡507

119.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.66 ₡1,191

-7.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.80 $12.80

$5.18 ₡2,321

147.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.52 $24.52

$19.88 ₡8,916

23.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.90 ₡1,300

-40.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.63 ₡1,626

21.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.12 ₡504

270.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$172 $172

$72.6 ₡32.6K

136.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.14 ₡958

28.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.57 ₡703

-1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.75 $23.75

$8.52 ₡3,823

178.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.52 ₡682

-28.95%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

66.77%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.47%

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

$215 $215

$96.3 ₡43.2K

123.15%

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

$75.9 $75.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

111.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 $64.0

$53.6 ₡24.0K

19.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.3 $99.3

$71.6 ₡32.1K

38.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.64 $49.64

$34.91 ₡15.7K

42.19%

Cinema Ticket

$15.78 $15.78

$7.89 ₡3,539

100.00%

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

$2,246 $2,246

$494 ₡221.6K

354.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

100.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.82 $48.82

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-9.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.50 $47.50

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-14.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 $79.6

$77.9 ₡34.9K

2.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$79.6 ₡35.7K

90.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,780 $2,780

$788 ₡353.4K

252.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 $2,657

$794 ₡356.2K

234.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,553 $4,553

$3,939 ₡1.8M

15.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,943 $2,943

$1,419 ₡636.5K

107.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,027 $4,027

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-41.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,820 $3,820

$1,224 ₡549.0K

212.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,336 $5,336

$864 ₡387.3K

517.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

8.62

-23.20%

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

Last update for Bergen County, NJ: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bergen County, NJ

$2.7K 61.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 70.1% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Bergen County, NJ

$462 10.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 23.8% $110

Eating Out

Bergen County, NJ

$356 8.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 40.5% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen County, NJ

$355 8.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 47.6% $169

Getting Around

Bergen County, NJ

$199 4.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 56.2% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen County, NJ

$147 3.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 18.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen County, NJ

$131 3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 33.2% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,780 in Bergen County, NJ and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen County, NJ pays 518% 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 Bergen County, NJ vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bergen County, NJ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:58 1:58 PM

11:58 11:58 AM

2 h behind Bergen County, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,668

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Bergen County, NJ Nosara 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bergen County, 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

Bergen County, NJ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bergen County, NJ and Nosara differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($4,307 vs $1,839 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 518% higher in Bergen County, 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: $2,780 in Bergen County, NJ versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $85.0 in Bergen County, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,307 per month in Bergen County, NJ versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 134% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $4,307 in Bergen County, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Bergen County, 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, Bergen County, 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 134% less than in Bergen County, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.