Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, VT and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,063 in Burlington, VT, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Burlington, VT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,063

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,063 in Burlington, VT versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Burlington, VT $3,063
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,818 in Burlington, VT versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Burlington, VT $4,818
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,572 in Burlington, VT versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Burlington, VT $6,572
Nosara $3,818

Living in Burlington, VT is roughly 67% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burlington, VT 127% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.24 $22.24

$12.35 ₡5,539

80.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$61.2 ₡27.4K

29.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$7.52 ₡3,373

58.11%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$4.41 ₡1,978

18.14%

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

$3.00 $3.00

$1.74 ₡780

72.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.31 ₡587

77.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 $7.80

$3.28 ₡1,471

137.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.46 $8.46

$4.47 ₡2,004

89.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.56 ₡701

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.02 ₡1,355

52.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$2.51 ₡1,125

109.96%

Eggs

$4.50 $4.50

$3.57 ₡1,603

26.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$7.43 ₡3,333

89.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.26 $12.26

$10.52 ₡4,717

16.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$13.97 ₡6,265

-6.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.35 ₡1,052

84.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.61 ₡720

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$4.80 ₡2,152

-53.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$1.61 ₡724

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.80 ₡1,703

17.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.69 ₡1,657

11.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.13 ₡507

168.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.66 ₡1,191

-63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$5.18 ₡2,321

130.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 $12.60

$19.88 ₡8,916

-36.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.63 ₡1,626

-46.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.12 ₡504

120.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.11 $49.11

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-32.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.14 ₡958

20.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.57 ₡703

13.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.71 $27.71

$8.52 ₡3,823

225.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.52 ₡682

-26.97%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

64.62%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-23.56%

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

$192 $192

$96.3 ₡43.2K

99.83%

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

$55.7 $55.7

$35.89 ₡16.1K

55.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 $63.2

$53.6 ₡24.0K

17.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.2 $70.2

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-2.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.88 $27.88

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-20.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$7.89 ₡3,539

49.43%

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

$1,250 $1,250

$494 ₡221.6K

153.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

0.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-2.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.60 $29.60

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-46.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 $54.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-30.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 $89.9

$79.6 ₡35.7K

12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 $1,954

$788 ₡353.4K

147.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 $1,735

$794 ₡356.2K

118.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,414 $4,414

$3,939 ₡1.8M

12.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,591 $3,591

$1,419 ₡636.5K

153.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,931 $3,931

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-43.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,321 $3,321

$1,224 ₡549.0K

171.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 $4,573

$864 ₡387.3K

429.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

8.62

-22.74%

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

Last update for Burlington, VT: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Burlington, VT

$1.7K 56.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 54.2% $941

Groceries & Markets

Burlington, VT

$397 13%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 11.2% $45

Eating Out

Burlington, VT

$353 11.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 40.1% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burlington, VT

$311 10.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 40.3% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Burlington, VT

$102 3.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Burlington, VT

$94 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 6.8% $6.4

Getting Around

Burlington, VT

$70 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 23.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,954 in Burlington, VT and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, VT pays 430% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Burlington, VT vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Burlington, VT

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

10:01 10:01 AM

2 h behind Burlington, VT

🌤 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Between locations

Burlington, VT Nosara 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 430% higher in Burlington, VT, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,954 in Burlington, VT versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 48% less than in Burlington, VT. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,250 in Burlington, VT versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,063 in Burlington, VT, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Burlington, VT. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Burlington, VT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Burlington, VT and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Burlington, VT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.