Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chandler, AZ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,813 in Chandler, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Chandler, AZ
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Chandler, AZ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Chandler, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,813

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,813 in Chandler, AZ versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Chandler, AZ $2,813
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,006 in Chandler, AZ versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Chandler, AZ $4,006
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,200 in Chandler, AZ versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Chandler, AZ $5,200
Nosara $3,712

Living in Chandler, AZ is roughly 53% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chandler, AZ 110% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.06 $15.06

$12.22 ₡5,509

23.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.2 $62.2

$60.2 ₡27.1K

3.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 $10.88

$7.54 ₡3,399

44.30%

Cappuccino

$4.46 $4.46

$4.31 ₡1,941

3.48%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.72 ₡773

52.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.35 ₡608

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.24 ₡1,459

81.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 $7.31

$4.48 ₡2,018

63.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.57 ₡707

-46.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.17 ₡1,429

3.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.42 ₡1,091

32.23%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$3.57 ₡1,609

29.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$7.43 ₡3,349

79.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 $11.24

$10.42 ₡4,697

7.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$13.66 ₡6,156

27.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$2.32 ₡1,044

58.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.61 ₡728

-1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$4.74 ₡2,138

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$1.66 ₡747

124.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.72 ₡1,679

-32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.57 ₡1,611

-38.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.10 ₡497

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.55 ₡1,149

-43.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 $10.04

$4.95 ₡2,232

102.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 $13.33

$20.01 ₡9,020

-33.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.79 ₡1,256

-32.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.53 ₡1,589

-42.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.19 ₡537

242.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$72.1 ₡32.5K

44.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.24 ₡1,011

23.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.55 ₡701

-12.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.43 $28.43

$8.86 ₡3,993

220.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.57 ₡708

-28.03%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

45.55%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-31.39%

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

$199 $199

$93.5 ₡42.1K

112.55%

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

$43.64 $43.64

$35.11 ₡15.8K

24.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 $72.4

$51.5 ₡23.2K

40.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.96 $30.96

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-56.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.18 $15.18

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-57.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 $10.78

$7.84 ₡3,535

37.50%

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

$1,118 $1,118

$490 ₡220.7K

128.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

29.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 $50.3

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-6.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.94 $42.94

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-23.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 $87.4

$79.3 ₡35.7K

10.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$78.9 ₡35.6K

45.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 $1,540

$786 ₡354.3K

95.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 $1,482

$780 ₡351.6K

90.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,386 $2,386

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-38.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 $2,496

$1,407 ₡634.4K

77.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,636 $3,636

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-47.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,447 $3,447

$1,201 ₡541.3K

187.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,019 $5,019

$876 ₡395.0K

472.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

8.62

-26.91%

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

Last update for Chandler, AZ: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chandler, AZ

$1.5K 54.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 47.4% $702

Groceries & Markets

Chandler, AZ

$354 13%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 1.4% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chandler, AZ

$315 11.5%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 42.8% $135

Eating Out

Chandler, AZ

$268 9.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 21.9% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Chandler, AZ

$133 4.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 9.4% $13

Getting Around

Chandler, AZ

$130 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 33.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chandler, AZ

$53 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 65.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,540 in Chandler, AZ and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chandler, AZ pays 473% 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: $62.0 in Chandler, AZ vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chandler, AZ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

11:23 11:23 AM

1 h ahead of Chandler, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,631

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chandler, AZ Nosara 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chandler, AZ
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

Chandler, AZ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 473% higher in Chandler, AZ, 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: $1,540 in Chandler, AZ versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Chandler, AZ. 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 $60.0 versus $62.0 in Chandler, AZ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,813 in Chandler, AZ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Chandler, AZ. 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 Chandler, AZ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chandler, AZ 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 53% less than in Chandler, AZ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.