Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, NC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,604 in Burlington, NC, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, NC
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Burlington, NC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Burlington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,604

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,604 per month in Burlington, NC vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Burlington, NC $2,604
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,784 per month in Burlington, NC vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Burlington, NC $3,784
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,963 per month in Burlington, NC vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Burlington, NC $4,963
Nosara $3,814

Burlington, NC costs about 42% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Burlington, NC and Nosara sit above the global median – Burlington, NC by 92%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.93 $18.93

$12.34 ₡5,535

53.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$61.3 ₡27.5K

21.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 $10.89

$7.76 ₡3,481

40.34%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$4.44 ₡1,992

17.79%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$1.79 ₡803

40.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.29 ₡580

59.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$3.24 ₡1,451

89.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$4.43 ₡1,985

53.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.55 ₡696

-32.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.08 ₡1,380

15.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.53 ₡1,133

71.94%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$3.45 ₡1,546

22.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$7.32 ₡3,284

70.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$10.24 ₡4,594

10.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.63 $15.63

$14.10 ₡6,326

10.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.29 ₡1,027

119.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.64 ₡737

-4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.79 ₡2,149

-12.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$1.64 ₡735

193.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.85 ₡1,727

-24.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.75 ₡1,681

-26.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.09 ₡488

93.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.59 ₡1,160

-19.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.37 $9.37

$5.12 ₡2,295

83.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.08 $14.08

$19.92 ₡8,931

-29.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.80 ₡1,255

-33.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.52 ₡1,580

-5.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.22 ₡549

65.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.17 ₡973

56.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.56 ₡698

5.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.99 $28.99

$8.67 ₡3,886

234.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.55 ₡697

-42.58%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-13.54%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-34.32%

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

$191 $191

$94.8 ₡42.5K

101.02%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$36.15 ₡16.2K

46.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$53.1 ₡23.8K

26.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.35 $42.35

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-42.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 $13.34

$7.91 ₡3,548

68.65%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$490 ₡219.9K

161.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

99.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-6.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 $39.90

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-28.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$80.4 ₡36.0K

6.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$77.9 ₡34.9K

43.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 $1,632

$801 ₡359.1K

103.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 $1,378

$790 ₡354.1K

74.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,653 $2,653

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-33.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 $2,241

$1,409 ₡632.0K

59.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,740 $2,740

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-61.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,417 $2,417

$1,236 ₡554.3K

95.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

8.62

-24.48%

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

Last update for Burlington, NC: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Burlington, NC

$1.4K 52.9%

Nosara

$790 43% 42.7% $588

Groceries & Markets

Burlington, NC

$388 14.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 9.9% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burlington, NC

$310 11.9%

Nosara

$184 10% 40.7% $126

Eating Out

Burlington, NC

$309 11.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 31.3% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Burlington, NC

$130 5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 6.7% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Burlington, NC

$69 2.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 29.8% $21

Getting Around

Burlington, NC

$20 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 349% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,632 in Burlington, NC 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 $75.0 in Burlington, NC versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Burlington, NC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

13:19 1:19 PM

2 h behind Burlington, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,743

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Burlington, NC Nosara 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Burlington, NC
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

Burlington, NC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,604 in Burlington, NC, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,907 per month in Burlington, NC 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,604 in Burlington, NC and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 42%.

Kindergarten costs $1,282 per month in Burlington, NC and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Burlington, NC at $2,604. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burlington, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,835 in Nosara to $2,604 in Burlington, NC. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Burlington, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.