Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $4,506 in Cambridge, MA, rent and utilities included – about $32,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

216

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge, MA
Learn more

Cambridge, MA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Cambridge, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,506

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,506 in Cambridge, MA versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Cambridge, MA $4,506
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,767 in Cambridge, MA versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Cambridge, MA $5,767
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,029 in Cambridge, MA versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Cambridge, MA $7,029
Nosara $3,818

Living in Cambridge, MA is roughly 145% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge, MA 234% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.88 $19.88

$12.35 ₡5,539

60.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

62.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$7.52 ₡3,373

62.10%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$4.41 ₡1,978

17.91%

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

$3.17 $3.17

$1.74 ₡780

82.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.31 ₡587

77.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$3.28 ₡1,471

147.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.47 ₡2,004

78.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.56 ₡701

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.02 ₡1,355

50.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.97 $6.97

$2.51 ₡1,125

177.69%

Eggs

$4.91 $4.91

$3.57 ₡1,603

37.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 $15.35

$7.43 ₡3,333

106.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.52 ₡4,717

43.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.19 $19.19

$13.97 ₡6,265

37.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$2.35 ₡1,052

174.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.61 ₡720

6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$4.80 ₡2,152

23.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.33 $7.33

$1.61 ₡724

355.28%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.80 ₡1,703

15.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.69 ₡1,657

3.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.13 ₡507

165.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.66 ₡1,191

-3.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.66 $12.66

$5.18 ₡2,321

144.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 $15.72

$19.88 ₡8,916

-20.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.90 ₡1,300

-32.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 $5.41

$3.63 ₡1,626

49.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.12 ₡504

123.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 $91.0

$72.6 ₡32.6K

25.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.14 ₡958

-4.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.57 ₡703

-3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 $10.82

$8.52 ₡3,823

27.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.52 ₡682

-29.61%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

70.00%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.11%

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

$227 $227

$96.3 ₡43.2K

136.26%

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

$54.4 $54.4

$35.89 ₡16.1K

51.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.4 $78.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

46.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 $74.3

$71.6 ₡32.1K

3.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.56 $30.56

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-12.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 $14.78

$7.89 ₡3,539

87.33%

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

$2,847 $2,847

$494 ₡221.6K

476.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K $35.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

202.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 $76.4

$53.9 ₡24.2K

41.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 $51.3

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-7.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$77.9 ₡34.9K

32.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$79.6 ₡35.7K

72.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,392 $3,392

$788 ₡353.4K

330.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,926 $2,926

$794 ₡356.2K

268.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,218 $5,218

$3,939 ₡1.8M

32.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,459 $3,459

$1,419 ₡636.5K

143.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,990 $4,990

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-27.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,067 $5,067

$1,224 ₡549.0K

313.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,239 $6,239

$864 ₡387.3K

622.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.62

-24.59%

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

Last update for Cambridge, MA: 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

Cambridge, MA

$2.9K 64.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 72.9% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge, MA

$502 11.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 29.9% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge, MA

$360 8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 48.4% $175

Eating Out

Cambridge, MA

$337 7.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 37.1% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge, MA

$166 3.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 27.5% $46

Getting Around

Cambridge, MA

$111 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 21.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge, MA

$104 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 15.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,392 in Cambridge, MA and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 622% 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: $99.0 in Cambridge, MA vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $502 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cambridge, MA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

05:31 5:31 AM

2 h behind Cambridge, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,162

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cambridge, MA Nosara 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge, 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

Cambridge, MA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 145% lower than in Cambridge, MA. 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 622% higher in Cambridge, MA, 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: $3,392 in Cambridge, MA versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Cambridge, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $99.0 in Cambridge, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $4,506 in Cambridge, MA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Cambridge, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cambridge, MA 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 145% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.