Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, SC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, SC
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Charleston, SC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,314 per month in Charleston, SC vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Charleston, SC $3,314
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,834 per month in Charleston, SC vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Charleston, SC $4,834
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $6,355 per month in Charleston, SC vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Charleston, SC $6,355
Nosara $3,818

Charleston, SC costs about 80% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Charleston, SC and Nosara sit above the global median – Charleston, SC by 145%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.88 $19.88

$12.35 ₡5,539

60.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 $131

$61.2 ₡27.4K

113.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$7.52 ₡3,373

58.38%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$4.41 ₡1,978

33.79%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$1.74 ₡780

67.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.31 ₡587

80.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 $6.68

$3.28 ₡1,471

103.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$4.47 ₡2,004

76.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.56 ₡701

-26.28%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.02 ₡1,355

36.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.51 ₡1,125

82.07%

Eggs

$5.25 $5.25

$3.57 ₡1,603

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.51 $22.51

$7.43 ₡3,333

202.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 $14.38

$10.52 ₡4,717

36.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.97 $20.97

$13.97 ₡6,265

50.11%

Apples (1kg)

$7.97 $7.97

$2.35 ₡1,052

239.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.61 ₡720

15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.80 ₡2,152

3.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$1.61 ₡724

340.37%

Potato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.80 ₡1,703

33.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.69 ₡1,657

-1.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.13 ₡507

152.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.66 ₡1,191

24.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$5.18 ₡2,321

89.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 $20.33

$19.88 ₡8,916

2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.90 ₡1,300

-5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.63 ₡1,626

-16.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.12 ₡504

77.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 $57.8

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-20.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.14 ₡958

42.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.57 ₡703

-21.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.67 $31.67

$8.52 ₡3,823

271.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.52 ₡682

-36.84%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

65.32%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.22%

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

$233 $233

$96.3 ₡43.2K

142.08%

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

$78.3 $78.3

$35.89 ₡16.1K

118.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.8 $85.8

$53.6 ₡24.0K

60.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.77 $45.77

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-36.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-43.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$7.89 ₡3,539

79.21%

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

$1,274 $1,274

$494 ₡221.6K

157.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K $27.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

129.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.9 $78.9

$53.9 ₡24.2K

46.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.52 $45.52

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-17.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$77.9 ₡34.9K

46.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$79.6 ₡35.7K

71.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 $2,353

$788 ₡353.4K

198.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 $1,728

$794 ₡356.2K

117.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,610 $3,610

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-8.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 $2,630

$1,419 ₡636.5K

85.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,673 $5,673

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-17.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,048 $3,048

$1,224 ₡549.0K

149.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,858 $4,858

$864 ₡387.3K

462.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

8.62

-24.48%

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

Last update for Charleston, SC: 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

Charleston, SC

$1.7K 52.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 54% $934

Groceries & Markets

Charleston, SC

$535 16.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 34.1% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charleston, SC

$397 12%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 53.2% $211

Eating Out

Charleston, SC

$336 10.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 36.9% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Charleston, SC

$169 5.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 28.8% $49

Getting Around

Charleston, SC

$75 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 16.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Charleston, SC

$74 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 18% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,353 in Charleston, SC versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 463% higher in Charleston, SC, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $131 in Charleston, SC versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $535 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Charleston, SC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

09:16 9:16 AM

2 h behind Charleston, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,227

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

Charleston, SC Nosara 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Charleston, SC
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

Charleston, SC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, SC costs about 80% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,970 per month in Charleston, SC and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,274 per month in Charleston, SC and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Charleston, SC at $3,314. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charleston, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $3,314 in Charleston, SC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.