Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bourne, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,588 in Bourne, MA, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bourne, MA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,588
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,588 per month in Bourne, MA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Bourne, MA $2,588
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,877 per month in Bourne, MA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Bourne, MA $3,877
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,167 per month in Bourne, MA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Bourne, MA $5,167
  • Nosara $3,712

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

Both Bourne, MA and Nosara sit above the global median – Bourne, MA by 93%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bourne, MA
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.89 $18.89
$12.22 ₡5,509
54.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.6 $81.6
$60.2 ₡27.1K
35.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.07 $13.07
$7.54 ₡3,399
73.34%
Cappuccino
$6.37 $6.37
$4.31 ₡1,941
47.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56 $2.56
$1.72 ₡773
48.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.35 ₡608
8.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.14 $9.14
$3.24 ₡1,459
182.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.16 $7.16
$4.48 ₡2,018
59.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bourne, MA
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.57 ₡707
-18.47%
White Bread (500g)
$4.53 $4.53
$3.17 ₡1,429
42.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.91 $5.91
$2.42 ₡1,091
144.21%
Eggs
$7.15 $7.15
$3.57 ₡1,609
100.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.88 $13.88
$7.43 ₡3,349
86.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.14 $10.14
$10.42 ₡4,697
-2.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.89 $19.89
$13.66 ₡6,156
45.61%
Apples (1kg)
$5.96 $5.96
$2.32 ₡1,044
156.90%
Banana (1kg)
$3.48 $3.48
$1.61 ₡728
116.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.28 $4.28
$4.74 ₡2,138
-9.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.44 $5.44
$1.66 ₡747
227.71%
Potato (1kg)
$3.12 $3.12
$3.72 ₡1,679
-16.13%
Onion (1kg)
$3.06 $3.06
$3.57 ₡1,611
-14.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.11 $3.11
$1.10 ₡497
182.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.03 $3.03
$2.55 ₡1,149
18.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.81 $17.81
$4.95 ₡2,232
259.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.28 $15.28
$20.01 ₡9,020
-23.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 $1.76
$2.79 ₡1,256
-36.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 $3.63
$3.53 ₡1,589
2.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Bourne, MA
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.19 ₡537
63.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.07 $3.07
$2.24 ₡1,011
37.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.55 ₡701
41.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.86 $41.86
$8.86 ₡3,993
372.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 $1.15
$1.57 ₡708
-26.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
64.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K $24.8K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-28.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bourne, MA
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 $171
$93.5 ₡42.1K
82.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.2 $50.2
$35.11 ₡15.8K
42.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.0 $50.0
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-2.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bourne, MA
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.97 $41.97
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-41.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$20.26 $20.26
$7.84 ₡3,535
158.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bourne, MA
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,979 $1,979
$490 ₡220.7K
304.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K $16.0K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
34.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bourne, MA
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.4 $50.4
$53.5 ₡24.1K
-5.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.46 $41.46
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-25.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.8 $87.8
$79.3 ₡35.7K
10.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$78.9 ₡35.6K
32.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bourne, MA
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,672 $1,672
$786 ₡354.3K
112.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,256 $1,256
$780 ₡351.6K
61.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,337 $2,337
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-39.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,243 $2,243
$1,407 ₡634.4K
59.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,060 $3,060
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-56.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,420 $2,420
$1,201 ₡541.3K
101.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bourne, MA
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$876 ₡395.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.8
8.62
-21.11%

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

Last update for Bourne, MA: 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
Bourne, MA
$1.3K
Nosara
$780 37.9% $476
Groceries & Markets
Bourne, MA
$468
Nosara
$350 25.4% $119
Eating Out
Bourne, MA
$343
Nosara
$209 38.9% $133
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bourne, MA
$271
Nosara
$180 33.5% $91
Clothing & Footwear
Bourne, MA
$128
Nosara
$120 5.8% $7.5
Sport & Entertainment
Bourne, MA
$83
Nosara
$87 5.6% $4.6
Getting Around
Bourne, MA
$22 *
Nosara
$87 297% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,672 in Bourne, MA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Bourne, MA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $468 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Bourne, MA
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
07:46 7:46 AM
05:46 5:46 AM
2 h behind Bourne, MA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,224
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bourne, MA Nosara 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bourne, MA
  • 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
Bourne, MA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bourne, MA and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,588 in Bourne, MA, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Bourne, MA compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,882 per month in Bourne, MA and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bourne, MA and Nosara?
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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bourne, MA or Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,588 in Bourne, MA and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 41%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Bourne, MA and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $1,979 per month in Bourne, MA and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Bourne, MA at $2,588. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bourne, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Bourne, MA and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $2,588 in Bourne, MA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Bourne, MA or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Bourne, MA and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bourne, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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