Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clearwater, FL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,958 in Clearwater, FL, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Clearwater, FL
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Clearwater, FL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Clearwater, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,958

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,958 in Clearwater, FL versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Clearwater, FL $2,958
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,448 in Clearwater, FL versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Clearwater, FL $4,448
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,938 in Clearwater, FL versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Clearwater, FL $5,938
Nosara $3,818

Living in Clearwater, FL is roughly 61% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Clearwater, FL 119% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 $16.87

$12.35 ₡5,539

36.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 $68.6

$61.2 ₡27.4K

12.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.49 $11.49

$7.52 ₡3,373

52.79%

Cappuccino

$4.84 $4.84

$4.41 ₡1,978

9.75%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$1.74 ₡780

35.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.31 ₡587

41.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 $5.53

$3.28 ₡1,471

68.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.47 ₡2,004

79.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.56 ₡701

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 $3.67

$3.02 ₡1,355

21.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.51 ₡1,125

74.50%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$3.57 ₡1,603

14.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 $11.19

$7.43 ₡3,333

50.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$10.52 ₡4,717

37.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.46 $19.46

$13.97 ₡6,265

39.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$2.35 ₡1,052

174.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.61 ₡720

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.80 ₡2,152

20.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$1.61 ₡724

278.88%

Potato (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.80 ₡1,703

16.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.69 ₡1,657

5.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.13 ₡507

135.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.66 ₡1,191

-2.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 $10.84

$5.18 ₡2,321

109.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.80 $16.80

$19.88 ₡8,916

-15.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.90 ₡1,300

-36.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.63 ₡1,626

27.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.12 ₡504

164.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.47 $44.47

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-38.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.14 ₡958

56.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 $0.66

$1.57 ₡703

-57.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 $60.4

$8.52 ₡3,823

609.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.52 ₡682

-33.55%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

73.27%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.47%

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

$250 $250

$96.3 ₡43.2K

159.52%

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

$57.1 $57.1

$35.89 ₡16.1K

59.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.4 $75.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

40.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.80 $39.80

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-44.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.58 $24.58

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-29.59%

Cinema Ticket

$15.76 $15.76

$7.89 ₡3,539

99.75%

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

$1,258 $1,258

$494 ₡221.6K

154.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

114.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 $76.1

$53.9 ₡24.2K

41.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 $54.0

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-2.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$77.9 ₡34.9K

41.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$79.6 ₡35.7K

77.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,100 $2,100

$788 ₡353.4K

166.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 $1,527

$794 ₡356.2K

92.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,576 $3,576

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-9.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,850 $2,850

$1,419 ₡636.5K

100.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,991 $2,991

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-56.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,744 $2,744

$1,224 ₡549.0K

124.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,685 $3,685

$864 ₡387.3K

326.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

8.62

-23.55%

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

Last update for Clearwater, FL: 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

Clearwater, FL

$1.5K 51.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 48% $733

Groceries & Markets

Clearwater, FL

$454 15.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 22.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Clearwater, FL

$382 12.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 51.4% $197

Eating Out

Clearwater, FL

$288 9.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 26.5% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Clearwater, FL

$172 5.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 30.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Clearwater, FL

$71 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 22.5% $16

Getting Around

Clearwater, FL

$63 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 38.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,100 in Clearwater, FL and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Clearwater, FL pays 327% 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: $69.0 in Clearwater, FL vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $454 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Clearwater, FL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:12 2:12 PM

12:12 12:12 PM

2 h behind Clearwater, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,742

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

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Between locations

Clearwater, FL Nosara 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Clearwater, FL
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

Clearwater, FL vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 327% higher in Clearwater, FL, 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: $2,100 in Clearwater, FL versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,958 per month in Clearwater, FL versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 63% less than in Clearwater, FL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,958 in Clearwater, FL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Clearwater, FL. 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 Clearwater, FL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Clearwater, FL 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 61% less than in Clearwater, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.