Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boca Raton, FL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,306 in Boca Raton, FL, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Boca Raton, FL
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Boca Raton, FL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Boca Raton, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,306

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,306 in Boca Raton, FL versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Boca Raton, FL $3,306
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,014 in Boca Raton, FL versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Boca Raton, FL $5,014
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,723 in Boca Raton, FL versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Boca Raton, FL $6,723
Nosara $3,818

Living in Boca Raton, FL is roughly 80% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boca Raton, FL 145% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.27 $25.27

$12.35 ₡5,539

104.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.8 $98.8

$61.2 ₡27.4K

61.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.66 $12.66

$7.52 ₡3,373

68.35%

Cappuccino

$4.68 $4.68

$4.41 ₡1,978

6.12%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$1.74 ₡780

30.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.31 ₡587

45.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$3.28 ₡1,471

80.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$4.47 ₡2,004

54.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.56 ₡701

-48.08%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.02 ₡1,355

43.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.51 ₡1,125

27.09%

Eggs

$5.16 $5.16

$3.57 ₡1,603

44.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$7.43 ₡3,333

53.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$10.52 ₡4,717

33.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$13.97 ₡6,265

3.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.35 ₡1,052

92.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.61 ₡720

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$4.80 ₡2,152

-24.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.61 ₡724

219.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.80 ₡1,703

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.69 ₡1,657

-10.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.13 ₡507

-13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.66 ₡1,191

1.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.19 $11.19

$5.18 ₡2,321

116.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 $13.99

$19.88 ₡8,916

-29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.90 ₡1,300

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.63 ₡1,626

-37.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.12 ₡504

79.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.45 $35.45

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-51.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.14 ₡958

87.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.57 ₡703

-49.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.42 $29.42

$8.52 ₡3,823

245.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.52 ₡682

-34.87%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

72.59%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.79%

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

$170 $170

$96.3 ₡43.2K

76.84%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$35.89 ₡16.1K

46.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.1 $74.1

$53.6 ₡24.0K

38.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.47 $35.47

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-50.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.25 $20.25

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-41.99%

Cinema Ticket

$12.51 $12.51

$7.89 ₡3,539

58.56%

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

$1,081 $1,081

$494 ₡221.6K

118.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

79.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.78 $47.78

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-11.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.25 $42.25

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-23.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 $72.0

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-7.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 $69.7

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-12.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,453 $3,453

$788 ₡353.4K

338.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 $2,037

$794 ₡356.2K

156.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,518 $4,518

$3,939 ₡1.8M

14.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,750 $3,750

$1,419 ₡636.5K

164.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,673 $8,673

$6,912 ₡3.1M

25.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,342 $6,342

$1,224 ₡549.0K

418.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,828 $5,828

$864 ₡387.3K

574.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

8.62

-24.25%

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

Last update for Boca Raton, FL: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boca Raton, FL

$2K 61.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 61% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Boca Raton, FL

$399 12.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 11.8% $47

Eating Out

Boca Raton, FL

$356 10.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 40.6% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boca Raton, FL

$297 9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 37.5% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Boca Raton, FL

$104 3.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 15.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Boca Raton, FL

$60 1.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 44.4% $27

Getting Around

Boca Raton, FL

$51 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 69.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,453 in Boca Raton, FL and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boca Raton, FL pays 575% 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: $99.0 in Boca Raton, FL vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boca Raton, FL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:35 7:35 AM

05:35 5:35 AM

2 h behind Boca Raton, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,396

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Boca Raton, FL Nosara 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Boca Raton, FL
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

Boca Raton, FL vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 575% higher in Boca Raton, FL, 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: $3,453 in Boca Raton, FL versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $99.0 in Boca Raton, FL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,306 per month in Boca Raton, FL versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,306 in Boca Raton, FL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Boca Raton, FL. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Boca Raton, FL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Boca Raton, FL 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 80% less than in Boca Raton, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.