Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethlehem, PA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,630 in Bethlehem, PA, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem, PA
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Bethlehem, PA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Bethlehem, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,630

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Bethlehem, PA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Bethlehem, PA $2,630
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,712 per month in Bethlehem, PA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Bethlehem, PA $3,712
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,794 per month in Bethlehem, PA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Bethlehem, PA $4,794
Nosara $3,818

Bethlehem, PA costs about 43% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bethlehem, PA and Nosara sit above the global median – Bethlehem, PA by 95%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 $18.12

$12.35 ₡5,539

46.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 $50.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-17.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$7.52 ₡3,373

75.27%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$4.41 ₡1,978

14.29%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$1.74 ₡780

70.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.31 ₡587

51.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.28 ₡1,471

59.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$4.47 ₡2,004

82.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.56 ₡701

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.02 ₡1,355

28.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.51 ₡1,125

55.78%

Eggs

$4.06 $4.06

$3.57 ₡1,603

13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 $12.17

$7.43 ₡3,333

63.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.53 $16.53

$10.52 ₡4,717

57.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 $18.47

$13.97 ₡6,265

32.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.29 $6.29

$2.35 ₡1,052

167.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.61 ₡720

-18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.80 ₡2,152

-15.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.61 ₡724

166.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.80 ₡1,703

-41.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.69 ₡1,657

-29.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.13 ₡507

139.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.66 ₡1,191

-31.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 $9.67

$5.18 ₡2,321

86.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.69 $17.69

$19.88 ₡8,916

-11.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.90 ₡1,300

-38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 $6.86

$3.63 ₡1,626

88.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.14 ₡958

128.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.57 ₡703

92.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.21 $35.21

$8.52 ₡3,823

313.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.52 ₡682

-38.82%

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

$22.6K $22.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

4.47%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-29.66%

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

$203 $203

$96.3 ₡43.2K

110.37%

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

$39.54 $39.54

$35.89 ₡16.1K

10.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.2 $79.2

$53.6 ₡24.0K

47.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.73 $36.73

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-48.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$7.89 ₡3,539

92.14%

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

$1,004 $1,004

$494 ₡221.6K

103.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$64.9K $64.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

447.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-1.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.05 $30.05

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-45.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 $66.1

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-15.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.2 $84.2

$79.6 ₡35.7K

5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 $1,561

$788 ₡353.4K

98.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 $1,373

$794 ₡356.2K

72.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 $2,225

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-43.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$1,419 ₡636.5K

51.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-68.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,123 $2,123

$1,224 ₡549.0K

73.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,507 $3,507

$864 ₡387.3K

306.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.62

-24.59%

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

Last update for Bethlehem, PA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bethlehem, PA

$1.4K 52.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 42.1% $579

Groceries & Markets

Bethlehem, PA

$437 16.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 19.3% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethlehem, PA

$321 12.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 42.2% $136

Eating Out

Bethlehem, PA

$307 11.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 31.1% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Bethlehem, PA

$105 4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 14.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Bethlehem, PA

$67 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 30.3% $20

Getting Around

Bethlehem, PA

$20 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 335% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,561 in Bethlehem, PA 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 306% higher in Bethlehem, PA, 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 $50.0 in Bethlehem, PA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $437 in Bethlehem, PA vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethlehem, PA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:07 1:07 PM

11:07 11:07 AM

2 h behind Bethlehem, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,624

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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Between locations

Bethlehem, PA Nosara 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bethlehem, PA
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

Bethlehem, PA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,630 in Bethlehem, PA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Bethlehem, PA 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 $50.0 in Bethlehem, PA and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Bethlehem, PA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Bethlehem, PA at $2,630. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bethlehem, PA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,630 in Bethlehem, PA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Bethlehem, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.