Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bismarck, ND and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Bismarck, ND
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Bismarck, ND Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,403

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,403 in Bismarck, ND versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Bismarck, ND $2,403
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,341 in Bismarck, ND versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Bismarck, ND $3,341
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,278 in Bismarck, ND versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Bismarck, ND $4,278
Nosara $3,814

Living in Bismarck, ND is roughly 31% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bismarck, ND 77% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.19 $30.19

$12.34 ₡5,535

144.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 $69.8

$61.3 ₡27.5K

13.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.41 $17.41

$7.76 ₡3,481

124.36%

Cappuccino

$6.22 $6.22

$4.44 ₡1,992

40.09%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$1.79 ₡803

39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.29 ₡580

46.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 $5.55

$3.24 ₡1,451

71.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.43 ₡1,985

57.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.55 ₡696

-33.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.08 ₡1,380

-12.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.53 ₡1,133

-17.79%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$3.45 ₡1,546

-20.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$7.32 ₡3,284

5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$10.24 ₡4,594

29.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$14.10 ₡6,326

12.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.29 ₡1,027

51.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.64 ₡737

5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.79 ₡2,149

-38.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.64 ₡735

160.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.85 ₡1,727

-50.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.75 ₡1,681

-25.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.09 ₡488

100.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.59 ₡1,160

3.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 $8.74

$5.12 ₡2,295

70.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.97 $19.97

$19.92 ₡8,931

0.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.80 ₡1,255

-31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.52 ₡1,580

15.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.55 ₡697

-37.42%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-23.28%

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

$22.5K $22.5K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-41.91%

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

$208 $208

$94.8 ₡42.5K

119.58%

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

$71.8 $71.8

$36.15 ₡16.2K

98.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.1 $82.1

$53.1 ₡23.8K

54.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 $41.78

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-43.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 $10.89

$7.91 ₡3,548

37.67%

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

$804 $804

$490 ₡219.9K

64.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$54.8 ₡24.6K

18.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 $95.2

$80.4 ₡36.0K

18.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 $81.2

$77.9 ₡34.9K

4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 $1,171

$801 ₡359.1K

46.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 $1,077

$790 ₡354.1K

36.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 $1,628

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-59.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 $1,428

$1,409 ₡632.0K

1.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 $2,226

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-68.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 $2,054

$1,236 ₡554.3K

66.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,393 $4,393

$887 ₡397.6K

395.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

8.62

-20.65%

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

Last update for Bismarck, ND: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bismarck, ND

$1.1K 44.8%

Nosara

$790 43% 26.7% $287

Eating Out

Bismarck, ND

$428 17.8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 50.3% $215

Groceries & Markets

Bismarck, ND

$364 15.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bismarck, ND

$362 15.1%

Nosara

$184 10% 49.2% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Bismarck, ND

$109 * 4.5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 11.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Bismarck, ND

$64 2.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 41% $26

Getting Around

Bismarck, ND

- * 0%

Nosara

$89 4.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in Bismarck, ND and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bismarck, ND pays 396% 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: $70.0 in Bismarck, ND vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

1 h behind Bismarck, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,333

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Bismarck, ND Nosara 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bismarck, ND
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

Bismarck, ND vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bismarck, ND and Nosara differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,403 vs $1,835 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 396% higher in Bismarck, ND, 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: $1,171 in Bismarck, ND versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $804 in Bismarck, ND versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $70.0 in Bismarck, ND. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Bismarck, ND. 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, Bismarck, ND 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 31% less than in Bismarck, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.