Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Girardeau, MO and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,129 in Cape Girardeau, MO, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Cape Girardeau, MO
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Cape Girardeau, MO Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Cape Girardeau, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,129

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,129 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Cape Girardeau, MO $2,129
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,277 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Cape Girardeau, MO $3,277
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,424 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Cape Girardeau, MO $4,424
Nosara $3,818

Living in Cape Girardeau, MO is roughly 16% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cape Girardeau, MO 58% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 $17.76

$12.35 ₡5,539

43.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 $58.6

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-4.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 $7.12

$7.52 ₡3,373

-5.32%

Cappuccino

$6.02 $6.02

$4.41 ₡1,978

36.51%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.74 ₡780

54.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.31 ₡587

42.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.28 ₡1,471

-8.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.71 $7.71

$4.47 ₡2,004

72.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.56 ₡701

-33.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.02 ₡1,355

-26.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.44 $7.44

$2.51 ₡1,125

196.41%

Eggs

$3.06 $3.06

$3.57 ₡1,603

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$7.43 ₡3,333

103.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.63 $18.63

$10.52 ₡4,717

77.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.29 $25.29

$13.97 ₡6,265

81.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.35 ₡1,052

42.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.61 ₡720

19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$11.43 $11.43

$4.80 ₡2,152

138.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$1.61 ₡724

451.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.80 ₡1,703

-43.68%

Onion (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$3.69 ₡1,657

62.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.13 ₡507

155.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.66 ₡1,191

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 $7.34

$5.18 ₡2,321

41.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 $12.06

$19.88 ₡8,916

-39.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.90 ₡1,300

-38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$3.63 ₡1,626

122.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.52 ₡682

-47.37%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

41.49%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-28.20%

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

$201 $201

$96.3 ₡43.2K

108.42%

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

$42.29 $42.29

$35.89 ₡16.1K

17.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 $80.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

50.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.39 $20.39

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-71.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 $14.98

$7.89 ₡3,539

89.86%

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

$818 $818

$494 ₡221.6K

65.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.40 $45.40

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-15.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.35 $39.35

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-28.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

8.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.98 $39.98

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-49.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 $777

$788 ₡353.4K

-1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 $861

$794 ₡356.2K

8.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 $1,572

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-60.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 $1,672

$1,419 ₡636.5K

17.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,444 $1,444

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-79.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 $1,438

$1,224 ₡549.0K

17.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,408 $2,408

$864 ₡387.3K

178.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

8.62

-25.17%

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

Last update for Cape Girardeau, MO: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Girardeau, MO

$861 40.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 7.7% $66

Groceries & Markets

Cape Girardeau, MO

$516 24.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 31.8% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Girardeau, MO

$324 15.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 42.6% $138

Eating Out

Cape Girardeau, MO

$284 13.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 25.5% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Girardeau, MO

$94 4.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 27.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Girardeau, MO

$50 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 73.6% $37

Getting Around

Cape Girardeau, MO

- * 0%

Nosara

$87 4.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $777 in Cape Girardeau, MO and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Girardeau, MO pays 179% 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: $59.0 in Cape Girardeau, MO vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $516 vs $352, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cape Girardeau, MO

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

22:46 10:46 PM

1 h behind Cape Girardeau, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,941

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

Cape Girardeau, MO Nosara 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cape Girardeau, MO
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

Cape Girardeau, MO vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 179% higher in Cape Girardeau, MO, 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: $777 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Cape Girardeau, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,129 per month in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,129 in Cape Girardeau, MO, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Cape Girardeau, MO. 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 Cape Girardeau, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cape Girardeau, MO 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 16% less than in Cape Girardeau, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.