Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Crookston, MN and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,650 in Crookston, MN, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Crookston, MN
Learn more

Crookston, MN Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Crookston, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,650

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,650 per month in Crookston, MN vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Crookston, MN $2,650
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,908 per month in Crookston, MN vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Crookston, MN $3,908
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,165 per month in Crookston, MN vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Crookston, MN $5,165
Nosara $3,814

Crookston, MN costs about 44% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Crookston, MN and Nosara sit above the global median – Crookston, MN by 96%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.28 $22.28

$12.34 ₡5,535

80.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.6 $76.6

$61.3 ₡27.5K

24.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 $10.17

$7.76 ₡3,481

31.06%

Cappuccino

$5.16 $5.16

$4.44 ₡1,992

16.22%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$1.79 ₡803

37.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.29 ₡580

50.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 $6.01

$3.24 ₡1,451

85.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.73 $7.73

$4.43 ₡1,985

74.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.55 ₡696

-30.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.08 ₡1,380

13.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.53 ₡1,133

73.91%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$3.45 ₡1,546

22.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 $12.57

$7.32 ₡3,284

71.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 $11.63

$10.24 ₡4,594

13.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.76 $16.76

$14.10 ₡6,326

18.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.29 ₡1,027

121.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.64 ₡737

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$4.79 ₡2,149

-11.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.64 ₡735

181.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.85 ₡1,727

-29.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.75 ₡1,681

-22.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.09 ₡488

101.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.59 ₡1,160

-12.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 $9.46

$5.12 ₡2,295

84.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$19.92 ₡8,931

-24.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.80 ₡1,255

-29.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.52 ₡1,580

-2.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.22 ₡549

59.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.8 $86.8

$73.9 ₡33.1K

17.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.17 ₡973

57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.56 ₡698

22.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.68 $27.68

$8.67 ₡3,886

219.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.55 ₡697

-34.84%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.40%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.15%

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

$202 $202

$94.8 ₡42.5K

112.80%

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

$57.8 $57.8

$36.15 ₡16.2K

59.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$53.1 ₡23.8K

30.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.43 $41.43

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-43.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.93 $13.93

$7.91 ₡3,548

76.11%

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

$1,398 $1,398

$490 ₡219.9K

185.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

99.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 $53.4

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-2.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.67 $40.67

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-27.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 $88.1

$80.4 ₡36.0K

9.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$77.9 ₡34.9K

44.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 $1,591

$801 ₡359.1K

98.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 $1,279

$790 ₡354.1K

61.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 $2,530

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-36.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$1,409 ₡632.0K

52.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,697 $2,697

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-61.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,377 $2,377

$1,236 ₡554.3K

92.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,552 $3,552

$887 ₡397.6K

300.66%

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 Crookston, MN: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Crookston, MN

$1.3K 48.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 38.3% $489

Groceries & Markets

Crookston, MN

$398 15%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 12.2% $49

Eating Out

Crookston, MN

$334 12.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 36.3% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Crookston, MN

$329 12.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 44% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Crookston, MN

$133 5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 8.8% $12

Getting Around

Crookston, MN

$108 4.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 17.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Crookston, MN

$69 2.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 29.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,591 in Crookston, MN versus $801 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 301% higher in Crookston, MN, 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 $77.0 in Crookston, MN versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Crookston, MN

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

09:28 9:28 AM

1 h behind Crookston, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,500

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Crookston, MN Nosara 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Crookston, MN
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

Crookston, MN vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Crookston, MN costs about 44% 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 $3,974 per month in Crookston, MN and $2,753 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.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,398 per month in Crookston, MN and $490 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 $1,835, than in Crookston, MN at $2,650. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Crookston, MN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,650 in Crookston, MN. 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, Crookston, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.