Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethesda, MD and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,165 in Bethesda, MD, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Bethesda, MD
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Bethesda, MD Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Bethesda, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,165

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,165 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $3,165
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,971 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $4,971
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $6,778 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $6,778
Nosara $3,818

Bethesda, MD costs about 72% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bethesda, MD and Nosara sit above the global median – Bethesda, MD by 134%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.08 $22.08

$12.35 ₡5,539

78.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$61.2 ₡27.4K

61.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 $10.91

$7.52 ₡3,373

45.08%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$4.41 ₡1,978

22.00%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.74 ₡780

74.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.31 ₡587

89.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$3.28 ₡1,471

115.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.12 $9.12

$4.47 ₡2,004

104.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.56 ₡701

-25.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 $4.14

$3.02 ₡1,355

37.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.51 ₡1,125

55.38%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$3.57 ₡1,603

30.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$7.43 ₡3,333

123.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.51 $15.51

$10.52 ₡4,717

47.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.46 $22.46

$13.97 ₡6,265

60.77%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.35 ₡1,052

131.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.61 ₡720

-15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.80 ₡2,152

-15.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.61 ₡724

164.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.80 ₡1,703

-41.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.69 ₡1,657

-28.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.13 ₡507

111.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.66 ₡1,191

-4.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.53 $10.53

$5.18 ₡2,321

103.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.01 $18.01

$19.88 ₡8,916

-9.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.63 ₡1,626

-22.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.12 ₡504

173.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$72.6 ₡32.6K

39.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.14 ₡958

92.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.57 ₡703

-22.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 $24.70

$8.52 ₡3,823

189.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.52 ₡682

-38.82%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

6.99%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-29.84%

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

$163 $163

$96.3 ₡43.2K

69.45%

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

$39.56 $39.56

$35.89 ₡16.1K

10.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 $62.6

$53.6 ₡24.0K

16.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$104 $104

$71.6 ₡32.1K

45.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.41 $30.41

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-12.89%

Cinema Ticket

$16.16 $16.16

$7.89 ₡3,539

104.82%

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

$1,606 $1,606

$494 ₡221.6K

225.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K $35.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

202.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 $54.8

$53.9 ₡24.2K

1.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 $57.3

$55.4 ₡24.8K

3.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$77.9 ₡34.9K

30.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$79.6 ₡35.7K

87.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 $2,340

$788 ₡353.4K

196.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 $1,669

$794 ₡356.2K

110.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,118 $4,118

$3,939 ₡1.8M

4.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,299 $3,299

$1,419 ₡636.5K

132.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,862 $5,862

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-15.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,456 $5,456

$1,224 ₡549.0K

345.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,749 $8,749

$864 ₡387.3K

913.18%

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 Bethesda, MD: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bethesda, MD

$1.7K 52.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 52.4% $875

Groceries & Markets

Bethesda, MD

$457 14.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 22.9% $105

Eating Out

Bethesda, MD

$350 11.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 39.4% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethesda, MD

$265 8.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 30% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Bethesda, MD

$163 5.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 26.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Bethesda, MD

$137 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 36.1% $49

Getting Around

Bethesda, MD

$124 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 29.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,340 in Bethesda, MD versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 913% higher in Bethesda, MD, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Bethesda, MD versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $457 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethesda, MD

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

13:29 1:29 PM

2 h behind Bethesda, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,858

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Bethesda, MD Nosara 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bethesda, MD
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

Bethesda, MD vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bethesda, MD is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,747 per month in Bethesda, MD and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Bethesda, MD and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,165 in Bethesda, MD and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 72%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Bethesda, MD at $3,165. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bethesda, MD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bethesda, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.