Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caldwell, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,846 a month against $2,449 in Caldwell, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Caldwell, TX
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Caldwell, TX Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Caldwell, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,449

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,449 in Caldwell, TX versus $1,846 in Nosara.

Caldwell, TX $2,449
Nosara $1,846

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Caldwell, TX versus $2,833 in Nosara.

Caldwell, TX $3,548
Nosara $2,833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,647 in Caldwell, TX versus $3,820 in Nosara.

Caldwell, TX $4,647
Nosara $3,820

Living in Caldwell, TX is roughly 33% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Caldwell, TX 80% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.88 $14.88

$12.36 ₡5,575

20.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 $60.4

$60.8 ₡27.4K

-0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$7.88 ₡3,557

25.38%

Cappuccino

$3.97 $3.97

$4.40 ₡1,986

-9.77%

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

$1.47 $1.47

$1.72 ₡776

-14.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.34 ₡603

29.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.34 ₡1,505

53.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.54 ₡2,048

33.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.64 ₡739

-53.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.16 ₡1,426

-14.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.39 ₡1,080

65.69%

Eggs

$2.92 $2.92

$3.47 ₡1,564

-15.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 $10.95

$7.13 ₡3,217

53.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.64 $15.64

$10.32 ₡4,655

51.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.53 $24.53

$13.97 ₡6,302

75.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.29 ₡1,031

91.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.62 ₡731

9.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$4.81 ₡2,169

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.68 ₡758

58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.91 ₡1,765

-44.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.63 ₡1,640

-52.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.13 ₡509

81.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.63 ₡1,188

-24.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.61 $9.61

$5.02 ₡2,267

91.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 $10.68

$19.71 ₡8,893

-45.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.91 ₡1,314

-42.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.54 ₡1,597

0.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.21 ₡545

61.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.0 $51.0

$73.8 ₡33.3K

-30.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.15 ₡969

54.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.63 ₡738

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.34 $26.34

$8.77 ₡3,958

200.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.55 ₡700

-39.35%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$33.9K ₡15.3M

-21.84%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$38.5K ₡17.4M

-33.91%

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

$173 $173

$95.2 ₡43.0K

81.92%

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

$25.30 $25.30

$36.29 ₡16.4K

-30.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$52.0 ₡23.5K

31.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.60 $40.60

$67.6 ₡30.5K

-39.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.85 $9.85

$35.55 ₡16.0K

-72.29%

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 $14.96

$7.54 ₡3,404

98.41%

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

$1,521 $1,521

$496 ₡224.0K

206.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K $24.7K

$11.8K ₡5.3M

109.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.35 $22.35

$55.1 ₡24.9K

-59.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$56.1 ₡25.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.9 $64.9

$77.8 ₡35.1K

-16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 $96.4

$79.1 ₡35.7K

21.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 $1,565

$817 ₡368.9K

91.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$806 ₡363.6K

60.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-36.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 $2,115

$1,429 ₡644.9K

47.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 $2,784

$7,068 ₡3.2M

-60.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,330 $2,330

$1,197 ₡540.1K

94.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,333 $1,333

$888 ₡400.7K

50.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

8.62

-23.20%

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

Last update for Caldwell, TX: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caldwell, TX

$1.3K 53%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 37.9% $491

Groceries & Markets

Caldwell, TX

$389 15.9%

Nosara

$351 19% 9.8% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caldwell, TX

$267 10.9%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 31.3% $83

Eating Out

Caldwell, TX

$247 10.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 13.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Caldwell, TX

$108 4.4%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 11.8% $13

Getting Around

Caldwell, TX

$70 2.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 26.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Caldwell, TX

$71 2.9%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 17.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,565 in Caldwell, TX and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caldwell, TX pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Caldwell, TX vs $61 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $389 vs $351, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Caldwell, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:35 12:35 PM

11:35 11:35 AM

1 h behind Caldwell, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,996

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Caldwell, TX Nosara 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Caldwell, TX
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

Caldwell, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Caldwell, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Caldwell, TX, 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: $1,565 in Caldwell, TX versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,521 in Caldwell, TX versus $496 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Caldwell, TX runs roughly 31% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Caldwell, TX 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.

It comes down to priorities – Nosara wins on affordability, Caldwell, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.