Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Defuniak Springs, FL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,458 in Defuniak Springs, FL, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Defuniak Springs, FL
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Defuniak Springs, FL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Defuniak Springs, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,458

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,458 in Defuniak Springs, FL versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Defuniak Springs, FL $2,458
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,623 in Defuniak Springs, FL versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Defuniak Springs, FL $3,623
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,788 in Defuniak Springs, FL versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Defuniak Springs, FL $4,788
Nosara $3,712

Living in Defuniak Springs, FL is roughly 34% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Defuniak Springs, FL 83% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.65 $26.65

$12.22 ₡5,509

118.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$60.2 ₡27.1K

34.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.06 $12.06

$7.54 ₡3,399

59.95%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$4.31 ₡1,941

18.56%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.72 ₡773

55.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.35 ₡608

48.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.24 ₡1,459

57.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$4.48 ₡2,018

60.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.57 ₡707

-40.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.17 ₡1,429

17.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.42 ₡1,091

-19.01%

Eggs

$2.88 $2.88

$3.57 ₡1,609

-19.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 $11.28

$7.43 ₡3,349

51.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 $10.35

$10.42 ₡4,697

-0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 $14.00

$13.66 ₡6,156

2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.32 ₡1,044

77.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.61 ₡728

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.74 ₡2,138

-8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.66 ₡747

27.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.72 ₡1,679

-49.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.57 ₡1,611

-47.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.10 ₡497

51.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.55 ₡1,149

-12.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.36 $7.36

$4.95 ₡2,232

48.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.80 $10.80

$20.01 ₡9,020

-46.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.79 ₡1,256

-34.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.53 ₡1,589

-43.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.19 ₡537

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.24 ₡1,011

12.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.55 ₡701

-2.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.88 $27.88

$8.86 ₡3,993

214.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.57 ₡708

-39.49%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

71.59%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-25.38%

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

$147 $147

$93.5 ₡42.1K

57.71%

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

$50.2 $50.2

$35.11 ₡15.8K

42.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$51.5 ₡23.2K

25.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.08 $42.08

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-41.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 $7.04

$7.84 ₡3,535

-10.20%

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

$982 $982

$490 ₡220.7K

100.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K $13.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

15.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.65 $23.65

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-55.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.01 $17.01

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-69.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 $95.6

$79.3 ₡35.7K

20.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$78.9 ₡35.6K

34.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$786 ₡354.3K

103.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 $1,292

$780 ₡351.6K

65.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,488 $2,488

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-35.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,176 $2,176

$1,407 ₡634.4K

54.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 $2,773

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-60.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,423 $2,423

$1,201 ₡541.3K

101.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,094 $3,094

$876 ₡395.0K

253.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

8.62

-25.52%

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

Last update for Defuniak Springs, FL: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Defuniak Springs, FL

$1.3K 53.1%

Nosara

$780 43% 39.6% $512

Eating Out

Defuniak Springs, FL

$369 15.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 43.3% $160

Groceries & Markets

Defuniak Springs, FL

$329 13.5%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 6.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Defuniak Springs, FL

$262 10.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 31.3% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Defuniak Springs, FL

$109 4.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 10.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Defuniak Springs, FL

$56 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 55.1% $31

Getting Around

Defuniak Springs, FL

$18 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 392% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,601 in Defuniak Springs, FL and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Defuniak Springs, FL pays 253% 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: $81.0 in Defuniak Springs, FL vs $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $329 vs $350, with Defuniak Springs, FL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Defuniak Springs, FL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:05 6:05 PM

17:05 5:05 PM

1 h behind Defuniak Springs, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,500

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Defuniak Springs, FL Nosara 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Defuniak Springs, FL
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

Defuniak Springs, FL vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Defuniak Springs, FL and Nosara differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,458 vs $1,837 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 253% higher in Defuniak Springs, FL, 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: $1,601 in Defuniak Springs, FL versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Defuniak Springs, FL pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,458 per month in Defuniak Springs, FL versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,458 in Defuniak Springs, FL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Defuniak Springs, FL. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Defuniak Springs, FL 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 34% less than in Defuniak Springs, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.