Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Birmingham, AL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,751 in Birmingham, AL, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Birmingham, AL
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Birmingham, AL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Birmingham, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,751

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,751 per month in Birmingham, AL vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Birmingham, AL $2,751
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,028 per month in Birmingham, AL vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Birmingham, AL $4,028
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,305 per month in Birmingham, AL vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Birmingham, AL $5,305
Nosara $3,712

Birmingham, AL costs about 50% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Birmingham, AL and Nosara sit above the global median – Birmingham, AL by 105%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.83 $17.83

$12.22 ₡5,509

45.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 $70.6

$60.2 ₡27.1K

17.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 $9.22

$7.54 ₡3,399

22.28%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.31 ₡1,941

31.32%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.72 ₡773

55.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.35 ₡608

76.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.24 ₡1,459

57.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 $5.96

$4.48 ₡2,018

33.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.57 ₡707

-32.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.17 ₡1,429

-3.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.42 ₡1,091

96.28%

Eggs

$4.06 $4.06

$3.57 ₡1,609

13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$7.43 ₡3,349

30.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.97 $10.97

$10.42 ₡4,697

5.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.18 $16.18

$13.66 ₡6,156

18.45%

Apples (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$2.32 ₡1,044

177.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.61 ₡728

-18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.79 $7.79

$4.74 ₡2,138

64.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$1.66 ₡747

232.53%

Potato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.72 ₡1,679

15.86%

Onion (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$3.57 ₡1,611

46.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.10 ₡497

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.55 ₡1,149

11.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$4.95 ₡2,232

103.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$20.01 ₡9,020

-26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.79 ₡1,256

-16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.53 ₡1,589

2.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.19 ₡537

27.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 $81.3

$72.1 ₡32.5K

12.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.24 ₡1,011

36.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.49 $30.49

$8.86 ₡3,993

244.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.57 ₡708

-42.68%

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

$34.1K $34.1K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

56.31%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-28.62%

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

$290 $290

$93.5 ₡42.1K

209.94%

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

$76.5 $76.5

$35.11 ₡15.8K

117.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$51.5 ₡23.2K

35.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.58 $40.58

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-43.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.09 $20.09

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-43.31%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 $15.71

$7.84 ₡3,535

100.38%

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

$1,340 $1,340

$490 ₡220.7K

173.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K $18.0K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

51.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 $58.1

$53.5 ₡24.1K

8.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.40 $38.40

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-31.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$79.3 ₡35.7K

37.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$78.9 ₡35.6K

73.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 $1,701

$786 ₡354.3K

116.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 $1,235

$780 ₡351.6K

58.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,914 $2,914

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-24.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 $2,090

$1,407 ₡634.4K

48.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,948 $2,948

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-57.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,878 $1,878

$1,201 ₡541.3K

56.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,137 $3,137

$876 ₡395.0K

258.02%

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 Birmingham, AL: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Birmingham, AL

$1.2K 45.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 36.9% $455

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Birmingham, AL

$436 16%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 58.7% $256

Groceries & Markets

Birmingham, AL

$425 15.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 17.7% $75

Eating Out

Birmingham, AL

$296 10.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 29.2% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Birmingham, AL

$154 5.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 21.9% $34

Getting Around

Birmingham, AL

$98 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 11.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Birmingham, AL

$72 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 20.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,701 in Birmingham, AL versus $786 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 258% higher in Birmingham, AL, 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 $71.0 in Birmingham, AL versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $425 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Birmingham, AL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:39 2:39 AM

01:39 1:39 AM

1 h behind Birmingham, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,733

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Birmingham, AL Nosara 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Birmingham, AL
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

Birmingham, AL vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,751 in Birmingham, AL, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,126 per month in Birmingham, AL and $2,756 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,751 in Birmingham, AL and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 50%.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Birmingham, AL at $2,751. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Birmingham, AL 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $2,751 in Birmingham, AL. 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, Birmingham, AL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.