Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between College Station, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,108 in College Station, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in College Station, TX
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College Station, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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College Station, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,108

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,108 in College Station, TX versus $1,839 in Nosara.

College Station, TX $2,108
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,162 in College Station, TX versus $2,828 in Nosara.

College Station, TX $3,162
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,216 in College Station, TX versus $3,818 in Nosara.

College Station, TX $4,216
Nosara $3,818

Living in College Station, TX is roughly 15% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: College Station, TX 56% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.08 $15.08

$12.35 ₡5,539

22.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 $76.5

$61.2 ₡27.4K

25.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.24 $12.24

$7.52 ₡3,373

62.77%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$4.41 ₡1,978

22.22%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$1.74 ₡780

63.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.31 ₡587

34.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.28 ₡1,471

56.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 $7.63

$4.47 ₡2,004

70.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.56 ₡701

-51.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.02 ₡1,355

10.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.51 ₡1,125

55.38%

Eggs

$2.88 $2.88

$3.57 ₡1,603

-19.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 $12.11

$7.43 ₡3,333

62.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 $9.47

$10.52 ₡4,717

-9.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 $13.17

$13.97 ₡6,265

-5.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.37 $6.37

$2.35 ₡1,052

171.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.61 ₡720

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.80 ₡2,152

35.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$1.61 ₡724

200.62%

Potato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.80 ₡1,703

7.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.69 ₡1,657

-20.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.13 ₡507

55.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.66 ₡1,191

-32.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.80 $8.80

$5.18 ₡2,321

69.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.12 $14.12

$19.88 ₡8,916

-28.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.90 ₡1,300

-38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.63 ₡1,626

7.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.12 ₡504

-8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.08 $20.08

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-72.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.13 $10.13

$2.14 ₡958

373.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.57 ₡703

17.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 $59.6

$8.52 ₡3,823

599.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.52 ₡682

-40.13%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

69.47%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.51%

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

$175 $175

$96.3 ₡43.2K

82.14%

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

$39.25 $39.25

$35.89 ₡16.1K

9.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 $55.6

$53.6 ₡24.0K

3.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.63 $25.63

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-64.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 $17.43

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-50.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 $11.57

$7.89 ₡3,539

46.64%

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

$747 $747

$494 ₡221.6K

51.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

49.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 $60.1

$53.9 ₡24.2K

11.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.42 $38.42

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-30.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 $83.8

$77.9 ₡34.9K

7.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$79.6 ₡35.7K

55.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 $1,128

$788 ₡353.4K

43.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 $952

$794 ₡356.2K

19.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,951 $1,951

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-50.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 $1,595

$1,419 ₡636.5K

12.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,161 $2,161

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-68.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,178 $2,178

$1,224 ₡549.0K

77.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,241 $4,241

$864 ₡387.3K

391.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for College Station, TX: 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

College Station, TX

$952 45.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 16.6% $158

Groceries & Markets

College Station, TX

$374 17.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 5.8% $22

Eating Out

College Station, TX

$281 13.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 24.7% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

College Station, TX

$270 12.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 31.3% $84

Clothing & Footwear

College Station, TX

$138 6.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 12.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

College Station, TX

$49 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 79.1% $39

Getting Around

College Station, TX

$43 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 100% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,128 in College Station, TX and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

College Station, TX pays 391% 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: $77.0 in College Station, TX vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 College Station, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

11:29 11:29 AM

1 h behind College Station, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,511

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

College Station, TX Nosara 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

College Station, TX
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

College Station, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in College Station, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 391% higher in College Station, TX, 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: $1,128 in College Station, TX versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 262% less than in College Station, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $747 in College Station, TX versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,108 in College Station, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in College Station, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, College Station, TX 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 15% less than in College Station, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.