Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,171 in Des Moines, IA versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Des Moines, IA $2,171
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,236 in Des Moines, IA versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Des Moines, IA $3,236
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,301 in Des Moines, IA versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Des Moines, IA $4,301
Nosara $3,814

Living in Des Moines, IA is roughly 18% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Des Moines, IA 60% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$12.34 ₡5,535

59.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$61.3 ₡27.5K

31.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$7.76 ₡3,481

57.47%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$4.44 ₡1,992

38.74%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.79 ₡803

63.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.29 ₡580

98.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.24 ₡1,451

54.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.43 ₡1,985

32.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.55 ₡696

-41.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.08 ₡1,380

-1.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.53 ₡1,133

33.60%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$3.45 ₡1,546

15.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$7.32 ₡3,284

32.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$10.24 ₡4,594

-3.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$14.10 ₡6,326

-2.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.29 ₡1,027

89.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.64 ₡737

-7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.79 ₡2,149

-5.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.64 ₡735

124.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.85 ₡1,727

-20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.75 ₡1,681

-42.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.09 ₡488

118.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.59 ₡1,160

-15.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.12 ₡2,295

53.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$19.92 ₡8,931

-25.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.80 ₡1,255

-39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.52 ₡1,580

-12.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.22 ₡549

41.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-21.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.17 ₡973

-9.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.56 ₡698

-21.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 $19.70

$8.67 ₡3,886

127.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.55 ₡697

-40.00%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-21.34%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-35.10%

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

$185 $185

$94.8 ₡42.5K

94.68%

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

$53.6 $53.6

$36.15 ₡16.2K

48.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$53.1 ₡23.8K

32.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 $63.8

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-13.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-43.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 $9.99

$7.91 ₡3,548

26.30%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$490 ₡219.9K

142.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

0.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 $59.5

$54.8 ₡24.6K

8.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 $42.98

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-23.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$80.4 ₡36.0K

25.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$77.9 ₡34.9K

86.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 $1,177

$801 ₡359.1K

46.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 $872

$790 ₡354.1K

10.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-56.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 $1,394

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-1.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,320 $2,320

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-67.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,325 $2,325

$1,236 ₡554.3K

88.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 $3,647

$887 ₡397.6K

311.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

8.62

-23.90%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: 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

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2%

Nosara

$790 43% 9.5% $83

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 34.9% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 40.3% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 22.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 7% $5.9

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 21.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,177 in Des Moines, IA and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 311% 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 Des Moines, IA vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $350, with Des Moines, IA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

04:56 4:56 AM

1 h behind Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Des Moines, IA Nosara 3,600 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, IA
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

Des Moines, IA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Des Moines, IA. 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 311% higher in Des Moines, IA, 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: $1,177 in Des Moines, IA versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,171 per month in Des Moines, IA versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. 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, Des Moines, IA 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 18% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.