Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cleveland, OH and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,437 in Cleveland, OH, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Cleveland, OH
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Cleveland, OH Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Cleveland, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,437

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,437 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Cleveland, OH $2,437
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,635 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Cleveland, OH $3,635
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,834 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Cleveland, OH $4,834
Nosara $3,712

Cleveland, OH costs about 33% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cleveland, OH and Nosara sit above the global median – Cleveland, OH by 82%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.22 $18.22

$12.22 ₡5,509

49.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 $63.2

$60.2 ₡27.1K

4.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 $10.96

$7.54 ₡3,399

45.36%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$4.31 ₡1,941

30.39%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$1.72 ₡773

51.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.35 ₡608

51.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.24 ₡1,459

80.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.48 ₡2,018

74.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.57 ₡707

-44.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.17 ₡1,429

2.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.42 ₡1,091

85.95%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$3.57 ₡1,609

24.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 $13.31

$7.43 ₡3,349

79.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

$10.42 ₡4,697

18.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.91 $19.91

$13.66 ₡6,156

45.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$2.32 ₡1,044

124.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.61 ₡728

0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$4.74 ₡2,138

-16.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$1.66 ₡747

132.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.72 ₡1,679

-22.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.57 ₡1,611

-8.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.10 ₡497

98.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.55 ₡1,149

-18.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$4.95 ₡2,232

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 $15.21

$20.01 ₡9,020

-23.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.79 ₡1,256

-8.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.53 ₡1,589

0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.19 ₡537

107.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.6 $93.6

$72.1 ₡32.5K

29.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.24 ₡1,011

23.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.55 ₡701

-1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.22 $26.22

$8.86 ₡3,993

195.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.57 ₡708

-33.76%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

67.41%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-25.53%

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

$217 $217

$93.5 ₡42.1K

132.00%

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

$65.6 $65.6

$35.11 ₡15.8K

86.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$51.5 ₡23.2K

44.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.28 $37.28

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-47.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.98 $1.98

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-94.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 $13.86

$7.84 ₡3,535

76.79%

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

$1,125 $1,125

$490 ₡220.7K

129.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

54.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 $60.8

$53.5 ₡24.1K

13.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.61 $38.61

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-30.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 $98.7

$79.3 ₡35.7K

24.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$78.9 ₡35.6K

48.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 $1,634

$786 ₡354.3K

107.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 $1,026

$780 ₡351.6K

31.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,951 $2,951

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-23.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,958 $1,958

$1,407 ₡634.4K

39.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,644 $1,644

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-76.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,580 $1,580

$1,201 ₡541.3K

31.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,689 $3,689

$876 ₡395.0K

320.93%

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 Cleveland, OH: 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

Cleveland, OH

$1K 42.4%

Nosara

$780 43% 24% $246

Groceries & Markets

Cleveland, OH

$409 16.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 14.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cleveland, OH

$357 14.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 49.5% $177

Eating Out

Cleveland, OH

$310 12.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 32.4% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Cleveland, OH

$142 5.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 15.2% $22

Getting Around

Cleveland, OH

$114 4.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 23.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Cleveland, OH

$65 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 34% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,634 in Cleveland, OH versus $786 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 321% higher in Cleveland, OH, 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 $63.0 in Cleveland, OH versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cleveland, OH

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

01:43 1:43 AM

2 h behind Cleveland, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,991

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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Cleveland, OH Nosara 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cleveland, OH
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

Cleveland, OH vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cleveland, OH is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,655 per month in Cleveland, OH and $2,756 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Cleveland, OH and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,437 in Cleveland, OH and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 33%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Cleveland, OH at $2,437. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cleveland, OH it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Cleveland, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.