Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boulder, CO and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $3,303 in Boulder, CO, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

159

Cost of Living Index in Boulder, CO
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Boulder, CO Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Boulder, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,303

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,303 per month in Boulder, CO vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

Boulder, CO $3,303
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $4,905 per month in Boulder, CO vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

Boulder, CO $4,905
Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $6,508 per month in Boulder, CO vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

Boulder, CO $6,508
Nosara $3,790

Boulder, CO costs about 79% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Boulder, CO and Nosara sit above the global median – Boulder, CO by 144%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 $20.17

$12.38 ₡5,568

62.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$60.6 ₡27.2K

30.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 $14.98

$7.81 ₡3,513

91.81%

Cappuccino

$5.74 $5.74

$4.37 ₡1,966

31.35%

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

$3.53 $3.53

$1.78 ₡800

98.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.35 ₡605

117.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.39 ₡1,526

102.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$4.31 ₡1,939

83.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.55 ₡699

-20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$5.50 $5.50

$3.17 ₡1,425

73.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$2.51 ₡1,130

166.93%

Eggs

$5.48 $5.48

$3.53 ₡1,585

55.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 $11.77

$7.37 ₡3,313

59.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.23 $11.23

$10.46 ₡4,703

7.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$13.91 ₡6,255

24.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$2.26 ₡1,018

157.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.56 ₡701

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$4.70 ₡2,113

29.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$1.62 ₡729

274.07%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.88 ₡1,746

5.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.79 ₡1,704

-2.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.07 ₡481

225.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.61 ₡1,174

5.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.26 $10.26

$5.16 ₡2,319

98.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.09 $17.09

$20.33 ₡9,143

-15.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.91 ₡1,310

-34.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.67 ₡1,651

34.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.31 ₡588

112.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.9 $86.9

$73.2 ₡32.9K

18.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.19 ₡984

12.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.84 ₡829

-23.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.02 $24.02

$7.81 ₡3,513

207.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.56 ₡702

-31.41%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-14.70%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-31.70%

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

$229 $229

$95.9 ₡43.1K

139.11%

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

$71.5 $71.5

$35.37 ₡15.9K

102.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$53.7 ₡24.1K

38.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 $75.5

$67.5 ₡30.3K

11.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.92 $19.92

$35.43 ₡15.9K

-43.78%

Cinema Ticket

$18.82 $18.82

$7.72 ₡3,473

143.78%

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

$1,927 $1,927

$496 ₡222.8K

288.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K $32.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

172.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 $68.0

$54.6 ₡24.6K

24.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.54 $49.54

$55.0 ₡24.7K

-9.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 $93.1

$79.8 ₡35.9K

16.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$77.9 ₡35.0K

81.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$817 ₡367.5K

166.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,726 $1,726

$800 ₡359.7K

115.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,833 $3,833

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-1.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,071 $3,071

$1,396 ₡627.6K

120.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,157 $6,157

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-11.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,617 $4,617

$1,222 ₡549.6K

277.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,513 $5,513

$879 ₡395.3K

527.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

8.62

-22.62%

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

Last update for Boulder, CO: October 31, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boulder, CO

$1.7K 52.3%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 53.6% $926

Groceries & Markets

Boulder, CO

$472 14.3%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 25.3% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boulder, CO

$375 11.4%

Nosara

$185 10% 50.7% $190

Eating Out

Boulder, CO

$351 10.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 39.3% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Boulder, CO

$158 4.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 24% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Boulder, CO

$113 3.4%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 26.7% $30

Getting Around

Boulder, CO

$108 3.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 16.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,181 in Boulder, CO 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 Boulder, CO are about 6.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Boulder, CO versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $472 vs $353 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boulder, CO

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

22:53 10:53 PM

1 h ahead of Boulder, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,803

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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Between locations

Boulder, CO Nosara 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Boulder, CO
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

Boulder, CO vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Boulder, CO is pricier by about 79%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,955 per month in Boulder, CO 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 $2,181 in Boulder, CO.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Boulder, CO, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Boulder, CO and $61 in Nosara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,844, than in Boulder, CO at $3,303. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boulder, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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