Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chevy Chase, MD and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

174

Cost of Living Index in Chevy Chase, MD
Learn more

Chevy Chase, MD Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Chevy Chase, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,535

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,535 per month in Chevy Chase, MD vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Chevy Chase, MD $3,535
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,617 per month in Chevy Chase, MD vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Chevy Chase, MD $4,617
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Chevy Chase, MD vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Chevy Chase, MD $5,699
Nosara $3,818

Chevy Chase, MD costs about 92% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chevy Chase, MD and Nosara sit above the global median – Chevy Chase, MD by 162%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.84 $23.84

$12.35 ₡5,539

93.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$61.2 ₡27.4K

63.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 $10.88

$7.52 ₡3,373

44.68%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$4.41 ₡1,978

29.25%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$1.74 ₡780

71.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.31 ₡587

86.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$3.28 ₡1,471

140.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.10 $9.10

$4.47 ₡2,004

103.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.56 ₡701

-21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.02 ₡1,355

47.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$2.51 ₡1,125

117.53%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$3.57 ₡1,603

42.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.40 $21.40

$7.43 ₡3,333

188.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.53 $15.53

$10.52 ₡4,717

47.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.24 $23.24

$13.97 ₡6,265

66.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.35 ₡1,052

135.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.61 ₡720

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$4.80 ₡2,152

-4.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$1.61 ₡724

269.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.80 ₡1,703

-15.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.69 ₡1,657

2.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.13 ₡507

107.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.66 ₡1,191

-3.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.42 $10.42

$5.18 ₡2,321

101.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.09 $17.09

$19.88 ₡8,916

-14.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.90 ₡1,300

-1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.63 ₡1,626

-18.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.12 ₡504

93.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.14 ₡958

90.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.57 ₡703

-19.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.05 $25.05

$8.52 ₡3,823

194.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.52 ₡682

-34.21%

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

$34.3K $34.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

58.54%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.40%

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

$163 $163

$96.3 ₡43.2K

69.00%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

42.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$53.6 ₡24.0K

16.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.93 $37.93

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-47.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$16.66 $16.66

$7.89 ₡3,539

111.15%

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

$1,586 $1,586

$494 ₡221.6K

220.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K $20.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

69.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$53.9 ₡24.2K

3.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 $63.1

$55.4 ₡24.8K

13.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$77.9 ₡34.9K

29.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 $166

$79.6 ₡35.7K

108.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,555 $2,555

$788 ₡353.4K

224.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$794 ₡356.2K

166.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,195 $4,195

$3,939 ₡1.8M

6.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,376 $2,376

$1,419 ₡636.5K

67.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,777 $2,777

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-59.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,399 $2,399

$1,224 ₡549.0K

95.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.62

-21.23%

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

Last update for Chevy Chase, MD: 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

Chevy Chase, MD

$2.1K 59.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 62.4% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Chevy Chase, MD

$509 14.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 30.8% $157

Eating Out

Chevy Chase, MD

$371 10.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 42.9% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chevy Chase, MD

$276 7.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 32.8% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Chevy Chase, MD

$174 4.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 30.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Chevy Chase, MD

$71 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 22.6% $16

Getting Around

Chevy Chase, MD

$19 * 0.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 356% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,555 in Chevy Chase, MD 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Chevy Chase, MD versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $509 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chevy Chase, MD

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

13:29 1:29 PM

2 h behind Chevy Chase, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,000

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Chevy Chase, MD Nosara 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chevy Chase, MD
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

Chevy Chase, MD vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chevy Chase, MD costs about 92% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,302 per month in Chevy Chase, MD 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 92%.

Kindergarten costs $1,586 per month in Chevy Chase, MD and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Chevy Chase, MD at $3,535. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chevy Chase, MD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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, Chevy Chase, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.