Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East Providence, RI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,996 in East Providence, RI, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in East Providence, RI
Learn more

East Providence, RI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

East Providence, RI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,996

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,996 in East Providence, RI versus $1,837 in Nosara.

East Providence, RI $2,996
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,190 in East Providence, RI versus $2,775 in Nosara.

East Providence, RI $4,190
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,383 in East Providence, RI versus $3,712 in Nosara.

East Providence, RI $5,383
Nosara $3,712

Living in East Providence, RI is roughly 63% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: East Providence, RI 124% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 $20.15

$12.22 ₡5,509

64.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 $78.3

$60.2 ₡27.1K

30.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 $13.41

$7.54 ₡3,399

77.85%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$4.31 ₡1,941

24.83%

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

$2.87 $2.87

$1.72 ₡773

66.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.35 ₡608

88.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.24 ₡1,459

82.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.76 $8.76

$4.48 ₡2,018

95.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.57 ₡707

-33.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.17 ₡1,429

30.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.42 ₡1,091

120.66%

Eggs

$4.91 $4.91

$3.57 ₡1,609

37.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$7.43 ₡3,349

54.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.34 $14.34

$10.42 ₡4,697

37.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$13.66 ₡6,156

26.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$2.32 ₡1,044

131.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.61 ₡728

11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$4.74 ₡2,138

37.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.66 ₡747

81.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.72 ₡1,679

-41.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.57 ₡1,611

-32.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.10 ₡497

139.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.55 ₡1,149

14.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.43 $13.43

$4.95 ₡2,232

171.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 $13.80

$20.01 ₡9,020

-31.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.79 ₡1,256

-31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.53 ₡1,589

-22.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.19 ₡537

64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.24 ₡1,011

162.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.55 ₡701

-0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.92 $25.92

$8.86 ₡3,993

192.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.57 ₡708

-34.39%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

65.50%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-25.16%

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

$319 $319

$93.5 ₡42.1K

241.51%

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

$87.2 $87.2

$35.11 ₡15.8K

148.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.4 $77.4

$51.5 ₡23.2K

50.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.56 $41.56

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-41.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.0 $57.0

$35.44 ₡16.0K

60.89%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$7.84 ₡3,535

87.50%

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

$1,853 $1,853

$490 ₡220.7K

278.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K $30.1K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

153.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.46 $38.46

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-28.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.49 $16.49

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-70.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 $98.2

$79.3 ₡35.7K

23.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 $91.3

$78.9 ₡35.6K

15.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 $1,813

$786 ₡354.3K

130.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 $1,586

$780 ₡351.6K

103.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 $2,641

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-31.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,311 $2,311

$1,407 ₡634.4K

64.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,483 $2,483

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-64.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,707 $2,707

$1,201 ₡541.3K

125.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,228 $6,228

$876 ₡395.0K

610.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

8.62

-24.48%

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

Last update for East Providence, RI: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

East Providence, RI

$1.6K 52.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 50.8% $806

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East Providence, RI

$484 15.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 62.8% $304

Groceries & Markets

East Providence, RI

$429 14.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 18.5% $80

Eating Out

East Providence, RI

$335 11%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 37.4% $125

Clothing & Footwear

East Providence, RI

$110 3.6%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 9.4% $10

Sport & Entertainment

East Providence, RI

$71 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 22.7% $16

Getting Around

East Providence, RI

$21 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 305% $65

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 $1,813 in East Providence, RI and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

East Providence, RI pays 611% 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: $78.0 in East Providence, RI vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 East Providence, RI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:58 5:58 PM

15:58 3:58 PM

2 h behind East Providence, RI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,123

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

East Providence, RI Nosara 3,810 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

East Providence, RI
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

East Providence, RI vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in East Providence, RI. 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 611% higher in East Providence, RI, 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: $1,813 in East Providence, RI versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,853 in East Providence, RI versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $78.0 in East Providence, RI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,996 in East Providence, RI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in East Providence, RI. 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 $1,837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, East Providence, RI 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 63% less than in East Providence, RI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.