Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Billings, MT and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,390 in Billings, MT, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Billings, MT
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Billings, MT Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Billings, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,390

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,390 per month in Billings, MT vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

Billings, MT $2,390
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $3,554 per month in Billings, MT vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

Billings, MT $3,554
Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $4,718 per month in Billings, MT vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

Billings, MT $4,718
Nosara $3,790

Billings, MT costs about 30% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Billings, MT and Nosara sit above the global median – Billings, MT by 77%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.92 $25.92

$12.38 ₡5,568

109.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$60.6 ₡27.2K

25.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 $13.32

$7.81 ₡3,513

70.55%

Cappuccino

$6.35 $6.35

$4.37 ₡1,966

45.31%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$1.78 ₡800

41.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.35 ₡605

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 $4.21

$3.39 ₡1,526

24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 $5.02

$4.31 ₡1,939

16.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.55 ₡699

-35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.17 ₡1,425

8.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.51 ₡1,130

25.50%

Eggs

$3.15 $3.15

$3.53 ₡1,585

-10.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$7.37 ₡3,313

60.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$10.46 ₡4,703

12.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 $17.67

$13.91 ₡6,255

27.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.26 ₡1,018

55.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.56 ₡701

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$4.70 ₡2,113

-38.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$1.62 ₡729

189.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$3.88 ₡1,746

-69.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.79 ₡1,704

-48.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.07 ₡481

123.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.61 ₡1,174

-43.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.82 $9.82

$5.16 ₡2,319

90.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 $10.70

$20.33 ₡9,143

-47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.91 ₡1,310

-22.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 $5.18

$3.67 ₡1,651

41.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.31 ₡588

54.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.45 $28.45

$73.2 ₡32.9K

-61.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.19 ₡984

11.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.84 ₡829

-23.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.9 $60.9

$7.81 ₡3,513

679.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.56 ₡702

-34.62%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-12.70%

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

$23.9K $23.9K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-37.19%

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

$175 $175

$95.9 ₡43.1K

82.54%

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

$49.70 $49.70

$35.37 ₡15.9K

40.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.9 $82.9

$53.7 ₡24.1K

54.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.56 $41.56

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-38.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 $14.97

$35.43 ₡15.9K

-57.75%

Cinema Ticket

$14.02 $14.02

$7.72 ₡3,473

81.61%

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

$1,066 $1,066

$496 ₡222.8K

115.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,517 $8,517

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-28.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 $59.0

$54.6 ₡24.6K

7.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.9 $66.9

$55.0 ₡24.7K

21.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 $99.3

$79.8 ₡35.9K

24.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$77.9 ₡35.0K

54.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 $1,198

$817 ₡367.5K

46.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 $1,085

$800 ₡359.7K

35.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-52.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 $1,804

$1,396 ₡627.6K

29.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,525 $2,525

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-63.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,047 $2,047

$1,222 ₡549.6K

67.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,874 $3,874

$879 ₡395.3K

340.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

8.62

-25.75%

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

Last update for Billings, MT: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Billings, MT

$1.1K 45.4%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 26.3% $285

Eating Out

Billings, MT

$371 15.5%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 42.6% $158

Groceries & Markets

Billings, MT

$356 14.9%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 0.9% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Billings, MT

$308 12.9%

Nosara

$185 10% 39.9% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Billings, MT

$155 6.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 22.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Billings, MT

$70 2.9%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 19.1% $13

Getting Around

Billings, MT

$46 1.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 95.5% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,198 in Billings, MT versus $817 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 in Billings, MT are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Billings, MT versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $353 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Billings, MT

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

03:40 3:40 AM

1 h ahead of Billings, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,116

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Billings, MT Nosara 4,540 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Billings, MT
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

Billings, MT vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Billings, MT costs about 30% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,586 per month in Billings, MT and $2,765 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,198 in Billings, MT.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,390 in Billings, MT and $1,844 in Nosara. That makes Nosara about 23% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,066 per month in Billings, MT and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,390 in Billings, MT and $1,844 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

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