Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dickinson, ND and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,616 in Dickinson, ND, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dickinson, ND, United States
Nosara, Costa Rica
Dickinson, ND
🇺🇸 United States
$2,616
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,844
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,616 in Dickinson, ND versus $1,844 in Nosara.

  • Dickinson, ND $2,616
  • Nosara $1,844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,852 in Dickinson, ND versus $2,817 in Nosara.

  • Dickinson, ND $3,852
  • Nosara $2,817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,089 in Dickinson, ND versus $3,790 in Nosara.

  • Dickinson, ND $5,089
  • Nosara $3,790

Living in Dickinson, ND is roughly 42% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dickinson, ND 93% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dickinson, ND
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.78 $19.78
$12.38 ₡5,568
59.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.8 $80.8
$60.6 ₡27.2K
33.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.49 $12.49
$7.81 ₡3,513
59.92%
Cappuccino
$5.40 $5.40
$4.37 ₡1,966
23.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 $3.03
$1.78 ₡800
70.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 $2.28
$1.35 ₡605
68.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.61 $6.61
$3.39 ₡1,526
94.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.58 $7.58
$4.31 ₡1,939
75.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dickinson, ND
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.55 ₡699
-32.26%
White Bread (500g)
$3.49 $3.49
$3.17 ₡1,425
10.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 $2.86
$2.51 ₡1,130
13.94%
Eggs
$4.21 $4.21
$3.53 ₡1,585
19.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.66 $12.66
$7.37 ₡3,313
71.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.77 $11.77
$10.46 ₡4,703
12.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.21 $17.21
$13.91 ₡6,255
23.72%
Apples (1kg)
$5.21 $5.21
$2.26 ₡1,018
130.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.56 ₡701
5.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.43 $2.43
$4.70 ₡2,113
-48.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.66 $4.66
$1.62 ₡729
187.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.76 $2.76
$3.88 ₡1,746
-28.87%
Onion (1kg)
$2.92 $2.92
$3.79 ₡1,704
-22.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.07 ₡481
106.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 $2.20
$2.61 ₡1,174
-15.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.41 $9.41
$5.16 ₡2,319
82.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.80 $14.80
$20.33 ₡9,143
-27.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$2.91 ₡1,310
-30.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 $3.50
$3.67 ₡1,651
-4.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Dickinson, ND
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.75 $1.75
$1.31 ₡588
33.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.7 $60.7
$73.2 ₡32.9K
-17.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.42 $3.42
$2.19 ₡984
56.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.84 $1.84
$1.84 ₡829
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.58 $33.58
$7.81 ₡3,513
329.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.56 ₡702
-26.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.0K $32.0K
$33.4K ₡15.0M
-4.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K $26.9K
$38.1K ₡17.1M
-29.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dickinson, ND
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$95.9 ₡43.1K
128.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.7 $54.7
$35.37 ₡15.9K
54.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.5 $67.5
$53.7 ₡24.1K
25.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dickinson, ND
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.41 $44.41
$67.5 ₡30.3K
-34.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.43 ₡15.9K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.20 $14.20
$7.72 ₡3,473
83.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dickinson, ND
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,339 $1,339
$496 ₡222.8K
170.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.3K $21.3K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
78.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dickinson, ND
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5 $52.5
$54.6 ₡24.6K
-3.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.18 $36.18
$55.0 ₡24.7K
-34.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.6 $82.6
$79.8 ₡35.9K
3.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 $121
$77.9 ₡35.0K
55.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dickinson, ND
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$917 $917
$817 ₡367.5K
12.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,273 $1,273
$800 ₡359.7K
59.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,551 $2,551
$3,889 ₡1.7M
-34.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,135 $2,135
$1,396 ₡627.6K
52.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,567 $1,567
$6,977 ₡3.1M
-77.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,593 $1,593
$1,222 ₡549.6K
30.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dickinson, ND
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$879 ₡395.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
8.62
-23.55%

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

Last update for Dickinson, ND: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dickinson, ND
$1.3K
Nosara
$800 37.2% $473
Groceries & Markets
Dickinson, ND
$387
Nosara
$353 9% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dickinson, ND
$341
Nosara
$185 45.7% $156
Eating Out
Dickinson, ND
$330
Nosara
$213 35.4% $117
Clothing & Footwear
Dickinson, ND
$132
Nosara
$120 8.5% $11
Getting Around
Dickinson, ND
$80
Nosara
$90 11.9% $9.5
Sport & Entertainment
Dickinson, ND
$73
Nosara
$83 13.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $917 in Dickinson, ND and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81 in Dickinson, ND vs $61 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $353 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Dickinson, ND
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
05:23 5:23 AM
06:23 6:23 AM
1 h ahead of Dickinson, ND
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,636
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dickinson, ND Nosara 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dickinson, ND
  • 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
Dickinson, ND vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Dickinson, ND?
Nosara is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,923 in Dickinson, ND and $2,765 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Dickinson, ND and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $917 in Dickinson, ND versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Dickinson, ND and in Nosara?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Dickinson, ND. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Dickinson, ND or in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61 versus $81 in Dickinson, ND. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $3,000 enough for either Dickinson, ND or Nosara?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Dickinson, ND or in Nosara?
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.
Which city is safer, Dickinson, ND or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Dickinson, ND and Nosara are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Dickinson, ND vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?