Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dearborn, MI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,602 in Dearborn, MI, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Dearborn, MI
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Dearborn, MI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Dearborn, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,602

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,602 per month in Dearborn, MI vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Dearborn, MI $2,602
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,808 per month in Dearborn, MI vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Dearborn, MI $3,808
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,013 per month in Dearborn, MI vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Dearborn, MI $5,013
Nosara $3,712

Dearborn, MI costs about 42% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dearborn, MI and Nosara sit above the global median – Dearborn, MI by 94%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.84 $17.84

$12.22 ₡5,509

45.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 $63.1

$60.2 ₡27.1K

4.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 $11.19

$7.54 ₡3,399

48.41%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$4.31 ₡1,941

33.64%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$1.72 ₡773

47.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.35 ₡608

49.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.24 ₡1,459

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$4.48 ₡2,018

81.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.57 ₡707

-45.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.17 ₡1,429

5.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.42 ₡1,091

78.10%

Eggs

$3.85 $3.85

$3.57 ₡1,609

7.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$7.43 ₡3,349

80.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 $11.48

$10.42 ₡4,697

10.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.24 $16.24

$13.66 ₡6,156

18.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.32 ₡1,044

114.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.61 ₡728

-1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.74 ₡2,138

-11.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.66 ₡747

128.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.72 ₡1,679

-33.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.57 ₡1,611

-14.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.10 ₡497

103.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.55 ₡1,149

-15.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.20 $10.20

$4.95 ₡2,232

106.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.70 $14.70

$20.01 ₡9,020

-26.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.79 ₡1,256

-10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.53 ₡1,589

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.19 ₡537

65.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 $62.8

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-12.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.24 ₡1,011

19.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.55 ₡701

-1.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.27 $24.27

$8.86 ₡3,993

173.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.57 ₡708

-31.21%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

67.23%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-26.58%

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

$216 $216

$93.5 ₡42.1K

131.38%

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

$60.6 $60.6

$35.11 ₡15.8K

72.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.0 $70.0

$51.5 ₡23.2K

35.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.39 $41.39

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-42.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.66 $13.66

$7.84 ₡3,535

74.23%

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

$1,247 $1,247

$490 ₡220.7K

154.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K $32.4K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

172.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 $58.7

$53.5 ₡24.1K

9.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.76 $40.76

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-26.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 $95.5

$79.3 ₡35.7K

20.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$78.9 ₡35.6K

51.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 $1,605

$786 ₡354.3K

104.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 $1,322

$780 ₡351.6K

69.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 $2,547

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-34.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,175 $2,175

$1,407 ₡634.4K

54.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,929 $1,929

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-72.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,201 ₡541.3K

58.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,640 $3,640

$876 ₡395.0K

315.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

8.62

-24.71%

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

Last update for Dearborn, MI: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dearborn, MI

$1.3K 49.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 41% $542

Groceries & Markets

Dearborn, MI

$389 14.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 10.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dearborn, MI

$347 13%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 48.1% $167

Eating Out

Dearborn, MI

$310 11.6%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 32.3% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Dearborn, MI

$141 5.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 14.9% $21

Getting Around

Dearborn, MI

$81 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 7.1% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Dearborn, MI

$69 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 26.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,605 in Dearborn, MI 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 315% higher in Dearborn, MI, 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 Dearborn, MI versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dearborn, MI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:02 7:02 PM

17:02 5:02 PM

2 h behind Dearborn, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,382

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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dearborn, MI Nosara 3,600 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dearborn, MI
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

Dearborn, MI vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dearborn, MI is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,904 per month in Dearborn, MI 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,247 per month in Dearborn, MI and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Dearborn, MI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Dearborn, MI at $2,602. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dearborn, MI 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, Dearborn, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.