Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dayton, OH and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,214 in Dayton, OH, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Dayton, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,214

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,214 in Dayton, OH versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Dayton, OH $2,214
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,280 in Dayton, OH versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Dayton, OH $3,280
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,345 in Dayton, OH versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Dayton, OH $4,345
Nosara $3,814

Living in Dayton, OH is roughly 21% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dayton, OH 63% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.47 $14.47

$12.34 ₡5,535

17.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 $71.1

$61.3 ₡27.5K

15.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 $9.90

$7.76 ₡3,481

27.58%

Cappuccino

$4.25 $4.25

$4.44 ₡1,992

-4.28%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$1.79 ₡803

25.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.29 ₡580

44.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.24 ₡1,451

42.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.43 ₡1,985

33.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.55 ₡696

-49.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.08 ₡1,380

-11.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.53 ₡1,133

49.01%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$3.45 ₡1,546

4.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$7.32 ₡3,284

81.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.28 $24.28

$10.24 ₡4,594

137.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.25 $17.25

$14.10 ₡6,326

22.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$2.29 ₡1,027

156.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.64 ₡737

18.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.23 $7.23

$4.79 ₡2,149

50.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$1.64 ₡735

218.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$3.85 ₡1,727

-29.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.75 ₡1,681

-15.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.09 ₡488

102.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.59 ₡1,160

7.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.68 $9.68

$5.12 ₡2,295

89.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.70 $19.70

$19.92 ₡8,931

-1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.80 ₡1,255

-37.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.52 ₡1,580

1.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.22 ₡549

229.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.33 $49.33

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-33.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.17 ₡973

133.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.56 ₡698

16.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.9 $50.9

$8.67 ₡3,886

486.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.55 ₡697

-33.55%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.32%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-30.90%

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

$205 $205

$94.8 ₡42.5K

115.81%

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

$50.2 $50.2

$36.15 ₡16.2K

38.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 $59.1

$53.1 ₡23.8K

11.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.95 $32.95

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-55.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.30 $45.30

$35.63 ₡16.0K

27.14%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$7.91 ₡3,548

78.76%

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

$529 $529

$490 ₡219.9K

7.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,520 $6,520

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-45.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.13 $39.13

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-28.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.07 $47.07

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-15.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 $70.4

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-12.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$77.9 ₡34.9K

57.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 $1,194

$801 ₡359.1K

49.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 $901

$790 ₡354.1K

14.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-60.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 $1,398

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-0.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 $1,451

$1,236 ₡554.3K

17.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,416 $3,416

$887 ₡397.6K

285.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

8.62

-21.81%

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

Last update for Dayton, OH: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dayton, OH

$901 40.7%

Nosara

$790 43% 12.3% $111

Groceries & Markets

Dayton, OH

$486 21.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 28% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dayton, OH

$314 14.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 41.4% $130

Eating Out

Dayton, OH

$248 11.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 14.2% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Dayton, OH

$126 5.7%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 3.6% $4.5

Getting Around

Dayton, OH

$80 3.6%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 11.6% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Dayton, OH

$61 2.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 46.3% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,194 in Dayton, OH and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dayton, OH pays 285% 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: $71.0 in Dayton, OH vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dayton, OH

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:47 7:47 PM

17:47 5:47 PM

2 h behind Dayton, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,771

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

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Highest

Between locations

Dayton, OH Nosara 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dayton, 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

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

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Dayton, OH. 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 285% higher in Dayton, OH, 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: $1,194 in Dayton, OH versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,214 per month in Dayton, OH versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 50% less than in Dayton, OH. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,214 in Dayton, OH, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Dayton, OH. 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 $1,835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dayton, OH 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 21% less than in Dayton, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.