Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brookings, SD and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,592 in Brookings, SD, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brookings, SD
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Brookings, SD Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Brookings, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,592

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,592 per month in Brookings, SD vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Brookings, SD $2,592
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,536 per month in Brookings, SD vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Brookings, SD $3,536
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,480 per month in Brookings, SD vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Brookings, SD $4,480
Nosara $3,814

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

Both Brookings, SD and Nosara sit above the global median – Brookings, SD by 91%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.52 $17.52

$12.34 ₡5,535

41.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.50 $39.50

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-35.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.37 $11.37

$7.76 ₡3,481

46.52%

Cappuccino

$4.59 $4.59

$4.44 ₡1,992

3.38%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$1.79 ₡803

40.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.29 ₡580

51.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.24 ₡1,451

87.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$4.43 ₡1,985

58.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.55 ₡696

-45.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.08 ₡1,380

13.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$2.53 ₡1,133

158.50%

Eggs

$3.56 $3.56

$3.45 ₡1,546

3.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$7.32 ₡3,284

41.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.83 $13.83

$10.24 ₡4,594

35.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$14.10 ₡6,326

-7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$2.29 ₡1,027

158.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.64 ₡737

11.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.79 ₡2,149

36.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$1.64 ₡735

217.68%

Potato (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.85 ₡1,727

14.03%

Onion (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.75 ₡1,681

9.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.09 ₡488

116.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.59 ₡1,160

-24.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$5.12 ₡2,295

154.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 $11.88

$19.92 ₡8,931

-40.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.80 ₡1,255

2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 $5.76

$3.52 ₡1,580

63.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.17 ₡973

131.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.56 ₡698

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.76 $23.76

$8.67 ₡3,886

174.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.55 ₡697

-33.55%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-12.65%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.07%

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

$178 $178

$94.8 ₡42.5K

87.89%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$36.15 ₡16.2K

49.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$53.1 ₡23.8K

33.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.83 $11.83

$7.91 ₡3,548

49.56%

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

$1,338 $1,338

$490 ₡219.9K

172.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.3K $36.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

205.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.60 $42.60

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-22.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 $34.98

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-37.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 $88.0

$80.4 ₡36.0K

9.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$77.9 ₡34.9K

33.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,663 $1,663

$801 ₡359.1K

107.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 $1,419

$790 ₡354.1K

79.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,083 $2,083

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-47.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 $2,037

$1,409 ₡632.0K

44.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,622 $2,622

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-62.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,872 $2,872

$1,236 ₡554.3K

132.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

8.62

-36.19%

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

Last update for Brookings, SD: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brookings, SD

$1.4K 54.8%

Nosara

$790 43% 44.4% $629

Groceries & Markets

Brookings, SD

$420 16.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 16.7% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brookings, SD

$303 11.7%

Nosara

$184 10% 39.3% $119

Eating Out

Brookings, SD

$292 11.3%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 27.1% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Brookings, SD

$121 4.7%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Brookings, SD

$24 * 0.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 279% $66

Getting Around

Brookings, SD

$13 * 0.5%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 561% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,663 in Brookings, SD versus $801 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 $39.00 in Brookings, SD versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $420 in Brookings, SD vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brookings, SD

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

01:33 1:33 AM

1 h behind Brookings, SD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,802

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

Brookings, SD Nosara 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Brookings, SD
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

Brookings, SD vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brookings, SD 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 $3,888 per month in Brookings, SD and $2,753 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Brookings, SD and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Brookings, SD, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Brookings, SD at $2,592. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brookings, SD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,592 in Brookings, SD. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

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