Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dover, NH and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,501 in Dover, NH, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Dover, NH
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Dover, NH Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Dover, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$3,501

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,501 in Dover, NH versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Dover, NH $3,501
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,173 in Dover, NH versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Dover, NH $5,173
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,844 in Dover, NH versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Dover, NH $6,844
Nosara $3,818

Living in Dover, NH is roughly 90% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dover, NH 159% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.07 $18.07

$12.35 ₡5,539

46.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.2 $94.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

53.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 $13.14

$7.52 ₡3,373

74.73%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$4.41 ₡1,978

27.44%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$1.74 ₡780

40.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.31 ₡587

16.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.28 ₡1,471

56.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 $7.86

$4.47 ₡2,004

75.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.56 ₡701

-33.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.02 ₡1,355

32.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$2.51 ₡1,125

110.36%

Eggs

$4.91 $4.91

$3.57 ₡1,603

37.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$7.43 ₡3,333

53.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.24 $14.24

$10.52 ₡4,717

35.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.80 $17.80

$13.97 ₡6,265

27.42%

Apples (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$2.35 ₡1,052

187.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.61 ₡720

6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.80 $6.80

$4.80 ₡2,152

41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$1.61 ₡724

240.99%

Potato (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$3.80 ₡1,703

75.26%

Onion (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$3.69 ₡1,657

52.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.13 ₡507

173.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.66 ₡1,191

46.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.32 $13.32

$5.18 ₡2,321

157.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.62 $13.62

$19.88 ₡8,916

-31.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.90 ₡1,300

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 $4.14

$3.63 ₡1,626

14.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.12 ₡504

58.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 $79.9

$72.6 ₡32.6K

10.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.52 ₡682

-42.11%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

29.37%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.50%

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

$325 $325

$96.3 ₡43.2K

237.08%

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

$101 $101

$35.89 ₡16.1K

181.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$142 $142

$53.6 ₡24.0K

165.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.8 $71.8

$71.6 ₡32.1K

0.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.43 $29.43

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-15.70%

Cinema Ticket

$12.15 $12.15

$7.89 ₡3,539

53.99%

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

$1,836 $1,836

$494 ₡221.6K

271.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

65.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 $57.5

$53.9 ₡24.2K

6.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 $38.23

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-31.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$77.9 ₡34.9K

1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 $98.7

$79.6 ₡35.7K

23.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 $2,137

$788 ₡353.4K

171.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 $1,834

$794 ₡356.2K

130.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,023 $4,023

$3,939 ₡1.8M

2.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,294 $3,294

$1,419 ₡636.5K

132.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,843 $3,843

$864 ₡387.3K

345.08%

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 Dover, NH: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dover, NH

$1.8K 52.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 56.7% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dover, NH

$568 16.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 67.3% $382

Groceries & Markets

Dover, NH

$485 13.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 27.4% $133

Eating Out

Dover, NH

$309 8.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 31.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Dover, NH

$123 3.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 2.5% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Dover, NH

$96 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 9.1% $8.8

Getting Around

Dover, NH

$87 * 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 0.1% $0.1

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 $2,137 in Dover, NH and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dover, NH pays 345% 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: $94.0 in Dover, NH vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dover, NH

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

15:56 3:56 PM

2 h behind Dover, NH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,735

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Dover, NH Nosara 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dover, NH
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

Dover, NH vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 345% higher in Dover, NH, 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: $2,137 in Dover, NH versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,836 in Dover, NH versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Dover, NH. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,501 in Dover, NH, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Dover, NH. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dover, NH, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dover, NH 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 90% less than in Dover, NH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.