Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlisle, PA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,621 in Carlisle, PA, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Carlisle, PA
Learn more

Carlisle, PA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Carlisle, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,621

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,621 in Carlisle, PA versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Carlisle, PA $2,621
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,919 in Carlisle, PA versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Carlisle, PA $3,919
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,217 in Carlisle, PA versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Carlisle, PA $5,217
Nosara $3,814

Living in Carlisle, PA is roughly 43% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carlisle, PA 93% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.18 $26.18

$12.34 ₡5,535

112.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 $110

$61.3 ₡27.5K

79.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$7.76 ₡3,481

53.48%

Cappuccino

$6.23 $6.23

$4.44 ₡1,992

40.32%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$1.79 ₡803

76.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.29 ₡580

97.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.91 $8.91

$3.24 ₡1,451

175.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 $9.94

$4.43 ₡1,985

124.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.55 ₡696

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.08 ₡1,380

30.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.17 $7.17

$2.53 ₡1,133

183.40%

Eggs

$5.48 $5.48

$3.45 ₡1,546

58.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.13 $17.13

$7.32 ₡3,284

134.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.02 $17.02

$10.24 ₡4,594

66.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.31 $18.31

$14.10 ₡6,326

29.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.92 $6.92

$2.29 ₡1,027

202.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.64 ₡737

45.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.79 ₡2,149

7.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$1.64 ₡735

245.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.85 ₡1,727

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.75 ₡1,681

3.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.09 ₡488

133.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.59 ₡1,160

7.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.14 $14.14

$5.12 ₡2,295

176.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$19.92 ₡8,931

-19.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.80 ₡1,255

19.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 $5.75

$3.52 ₡1,580

63.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.22 ₡549

58.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.17 ₡973

89.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.56 ₡698

-0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.22 $25.22

$8.67 ₡3,886

190.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.55 ₡697

-36.13%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

1.40%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.09%

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

$211 $211

$94.8 ₡42.5K

122.01%

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

$81.7 $81.7

$36.15 ₡16.2K

126.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 $76.7

$53.1 ₡23.8K

44.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.68 $37.68

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-48.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 $18.33

$7.91 ₡3,548

131.73%

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

$1,395 $1,395

$490 ₡219.9K

184.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.0K $42.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

253.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 $71.1

$54.8 ₡24.6K

29.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.02 $44.02

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-21.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$80.4 ₡36.0K

28.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$77.9 ₡34.9K

62.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 $1,146

$801 ₡359.1K

43.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 $1,083

$790 ₡354.1K

37.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,883 $1,883

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-52.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 $1,683

$1,409 ₡632.0K

19.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,880 $2,880

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-59.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,544 $2,544

$1,236 ₡554.3K

105.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,524 $5,524

$887 ₡397.6K

523.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

8.62

-23.09%

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

Last update for Carlisle, PA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlisle, PA

$1.1K 41.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 27.1% $294

Groceries & Markets

Carlisle, PA

$513 19.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 31.8% $163

Eating Out

Carlisle, PA

$407 15.5%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 47.8% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlisle, PA

$369 14.1%

Nosara

$184 10% 50.1% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Carlisle, PA

$155 5.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 22% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Carlisle, PA

$74 2.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 20.5% $15

Getting Around

Carlisle, PA

$20 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 353% $69

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 $1,146 in Carlisle, PA and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlisle, PA pays 523% 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: $110 in Carlisle, PA vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $513 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Carlisle, PA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:00 11:00 PM

21:00 9:00 PM

2 h behind Carlisle, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,682

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Carlisle, PA Nosara 3,460 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Carlisle, PA
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

Carlisle, PA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 523% higher in Carlisle, PA, 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: $1,146 in Carlisle, PA versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,395 in Carlisle, PA versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $110 in Carlisle, PA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,621 in Carlisle, PA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Carlisle, PA. 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 Carlisle, PA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Carlisle, PA 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 43% less than in Carlisle, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.