Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clifton, NJ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,793 in Clifton, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Clifton, NJ
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Clifton, NJ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Clifton, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,793

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,793 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $2,793
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,040 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $4,040
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,286 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $5,286
Nosara $3,818

Clifton, NJ costs about 52% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Clifton, NJ and Nosara sit above the global median – Clifton, NJ by 107%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.35 $22.35

$12.35 ₡5,539

80.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$61.2 ₡27.4K

28.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.04 $13.04

$7.52 ₡3,373

73.40%

Cappuccino

$6.57 $6.57

$4.41 ₡1,978

48.98%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$1.74 ₡780

45.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.31 ₡587

35.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$3.28 ₡1,471

143.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.47 ₡2,004

58.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.56 ₡701

-14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.02 ₡1,355

45.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$2.51 ₡1,125

148.21%

Eggs

$5.88 $5.88

$3.57 ₡1,603

64.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 $13.92

$7.43 ₡3,333

87.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$10.52 ₡4,717

-3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.97 ₡6,265

34.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$2.35 ₡1,052

154.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.61 ₡720

32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$4.80 ₡2,152

28.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$1.61 ₡724

234.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.80 ₡1,703

-3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.69 ₡1,657

20.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.13 ₡507

174.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.66 ₡1,191

-3.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.84 $17.84

$5.18 ₡2,321

244.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 $15.22

$19.88 ₡8,916

-23.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.90 ₡1,300

-39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.63 ₡1,626

1.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.12 ₡504

299.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.14 ₡958

36.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.57 ₡703

34.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.80 $41.80

$8.52 ₡3,823

390.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.52 ₡682

-24.34%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

61.93%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.48%

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

$217 $217

$96.3 ₡43.2K

125.50%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$35.89 ₡16.1K

42.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$53.6 ₡24.0K

23.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.82 $28.82

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-59.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$20.01 $20.01

$7.89 ₡3,539

153.61%

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

$1,968 $1,968

$494 ₡221.6K

298.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

33.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.41 $31.41

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-41.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.70 $19.70

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-64.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$77.9 ₡34.9K

40.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$79.6 ₡35.7K

66.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 $1,335

$788 ₡353.4K

69.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 $1,400

$794 ₡356.2K

76.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 $2,820

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-28.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$1,419 ₡636.5K

55.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,451 $8,451

$6,912 ₡3.1M

22.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,212 $4,212

$864 ₡387.3K

387.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

8.62

-21.11%

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

Last update for Clifton, NJ: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Clifton, NJ

$1.4K 50.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 43.2% $605

Groceries & Markets

Clifton, NJ

$458 16.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 23.1% $106

Eating Out

Clifton, NJ

$368 13.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 42.5% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Clifton, NJ

$335 12%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 44.5% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Clifton, NJ

$132 4.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 9.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Clifton, NJ

$69 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 26.9% $19

Getting Around

Clifton, NJ

$31 * 1.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 178% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,335 in Clifton, NJ 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 388% higher in Clifton, NJ, 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 $79.0 in Clifton, NJ versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Clifton, NJ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:10 10:10 AM

08:10 8:10 AM

2 h behind Clifton, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,606

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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Highest

Between locations

Clifton, NJ Nosara 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Clifton, NJ
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

Clifton, NJ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,793 in Clifton, NJ, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 52% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,189 per month in Clifton, NJ 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 $2,793 in Clifton, NJ and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 52%.

Kindergarten costs $1,968 per month in Clifton, NJ 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 Clifton, NJ at $2,793. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Clifton, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,793 in Clifton, NJ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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