Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boise, ID and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,599 in Boise, ID, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Boise, ID
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Boise, ID Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Boise, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,599

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,599 per month in Boise, ID vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

Boise, ID $2,599
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $3,659 per month in Boise, ID vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

Boise, ID $3,659
Nosara $2,817

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

Boise, ID $4,718
Nosara $3,790

Boise, ID costs about 41% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Boise, ID and Nosara sit above the global median – Boise, ID by 92%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.93 $18.93

$12.38 ₡5,568

52.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 $71.0

$60.6 ₡27.2K

17.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.81 ₡3,513

68.12%

Cappuccino

$6.17 $6.17

$4.37 ₡1,966

41.19%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$1.78 ₡800

60.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.35 ₡605

51.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.71 $6.71

$3.39 ₡1,526

97.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 $6.31

$4.31 ₡1,939

46.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.55 ₡699

-41.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.17 ₡1,425

24.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.51 ₡1,130

139.84%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$3.53 ₡1,585

19.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$7.37 ₡3,313

115.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$10.46 ₡4,703

5.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.65 $17.65

$13.91 ₡6,255

26.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.26 ₡1,018

115.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.56 ₡701

19.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.70 ₡2,113

-14.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.62 ₡729

201.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.88 ₡1,746

-25.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.79 ₡1,704

-28.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.07 ₡481

125.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.61 ₡1,174

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$5.16 ₡2,319

67.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.33 $15.33

$20.33 ₡9,143

-24.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.91 ₡1,310

-30.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.67 ₡1,651

-9.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.31 ₡588

12.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.34 $42.34

$73.2 ₡32.9K

-42.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.19 ₡984

19.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.84 ₡829

-20.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.34 $24.34

$7.81 ₡3,513

211.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.56 ₡702

-23.72%

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

$33.9K $33.9K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

1.40%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-30.90%

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

$170 $170

$95.9 ₡43.1K

77.72%

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

$57.2 $57.2

$35.37 ₡15.9K

61.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.9 $75.9

$53.7 ₡24.1K

41.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.23 $39.23

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-41.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.85 $37.85

$35.43 ₡15.9K

6.83%

Cinema Ticket

$12.36 $12.36

$7.72 ₡3,473

60.10%

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

$1,096 $1,096

$496 ₡222.8K

121.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K $19.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

63.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 $54.5

$54.6 ₡24.6K

-0.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.37 $41.37

$55.0 ₡24.7K

-24.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 $89.0

$79.8 ₡35.9K

11.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$77.9 ₡35.0K

39.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 $1,688

$817 ₡367.5K

106.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$800 ₡359.7K

61.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 $2,588

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-33.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$1,396 ₡627.6K

28.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,828 $6,828

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-2.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,041 $3,041

$1,222 ₡549.6K

148.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,416 $4,416

$879 ₡395.3K

402.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

8.62

-22.85%

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

Last update for Boise, ID: 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

Boise, ID

$1.3K 49.6%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 37.9% $489

Groceries & Markets

Boise, ID

$422 16.2%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 16.5% $70

Eating Out

Boise, ID

$331 12.7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 35.6% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boise, ID

$303 11.7%

Nosara

$185 10% 39.1% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Boise, ID

$132 5.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Boise, ID

$64 2.5%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 29.6% $19

Getting Around

Boise, ID

$58 2.2%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 54.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,688 in Boise, ID 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 Boise, ID are about 5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Boise, ID versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $422 vs $353 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boise, ID

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:52 8:52 PM

21:52 9:52 PM

1 h ahead of Boise, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

235,684

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 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 = 0.891 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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Highest

Between locations

Boise, ID Nosara 4,760 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Boise, ID
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

Boise, ID vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boise, ID costs about 41% 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 $3,899 per month in Boise, ID 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 $1,688 in Boise, ID.

Kindergarten costs $1,096 per month in Boise, ID and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Boise, ID, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,599 in Boise, ID 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, Boise, ID makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.