Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edison, NJ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,191 in Edison, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Edison, NJ
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Edison, NJ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Edison, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,191

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,191 in Edison, NJ versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Edison, NJ $3,191
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,474 in Edison, NJ versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Edison, NJ $4,474
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,758 in Edison, NJ versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Edison, NJ $5,758
Nosara $3,818

Living in Edison, NJ is roughly 74% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edison, NJ 136% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.28 $18.28

$12.35 ₡5,539

48.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 $60.0

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-1.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 $9.11

$7.52 ₡3,373

21.14%

Cappuccino

$4.10 $4.10

$4.41 ₡1,978

-7.03%

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

$1.02 $1.02

$1.74 ₡780

-41.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.31 ₡587

-25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.28 ₡1,471

7.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.47 ₡2,004

55.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.56 ₡701

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.02 ₡1,355

6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.51 ₡1,125

134.26%

Eggs

$2.57 $2.57

$3.57 ₡1,603

-28.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 $13.43

$7.43 ₡3,333

80.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$10.52 ₡4,717

-2.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.57 $19.57

$13.97 ₡6,265

40.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$2.35 ₡1,052

164.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.61 ₡720

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$4.80 ₡2,152

-12.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$1.61 ₡724

236.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.80 ₡1,703

-21.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.69 ₡1,657

-17.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.13 ₡507

169.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.66 ₡1,191

-23.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.94 $9.94

$5.18 ₡2,321

91.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$19.88 ₡8,916

-25.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.90 ₡1,300

-37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.63 ₡1,626

-3.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.02 $6.02

$1.12 ₡504

437.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$203 $203

$72.6 ₡32.6K

179.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.14 ₡958

44.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.57 ₡703

-39.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.80 $41.80

$8.52 ₡3,823

390.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.52 ₡682

-36.84%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

66.76%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.43%

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

$172 $172

$96.3 ₡43.2K

78.80%

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

$51.4 $51.4

$35.89 ₡16.1K

43.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 $49.68

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-7.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.66 $21.66

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-69.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$7.89 ₡3,539

91.51%

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

$2,005 $2,005

$494 ₡221.6K

305.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

34.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-5.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.7 $79.7

$55.4 ₡24.8K

43.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.5 $59.5

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-23.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 $89.2

$79.6 ₡35.7K

12.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 $2,096

$788 ₡353.4K

166.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 $1,835

$794 ₡356.2K

131.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,113 $3,113

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-20.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,796 $2,796

$1,419 ₡636.5K

97.00%

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)

$6,924 $6,924

$864 ₡387.3K

701.86%

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 Edison, NJ: 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

Edison, NJ

$1.8K 57.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 56.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Edison, NJ

$408 12.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 13.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edison, NJ

$273 8.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 32% $87

Eating Out

Edison, NJ

$262 8.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 19.3% $51

Getting Around

Edison, NJ

$235 7.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 62.9% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Edison, NJ

$126 3.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 4.5% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Edison, NJ

$52 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 68.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,096 in Edison, NJ and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edison, NJ pays 702% 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: $60.0 in Edison, NJ vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $408 vs $352, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Edison, NJ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

08:16 8:16 AM

2 h behind Edison, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,588

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Between locations

Edison, NJ Nosara 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Edison, NJ
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

Edison, NJ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edison, NJ and Nosara differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($3,191 vs $1,839 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 702% higher in Edison, NJ, 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: $2,096 in Edison, NJ versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 180% less than in Edison, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,005 in Edison, NJ versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,191 in Edison, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Edison, NJ. 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, Edison, NJ 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 74% less than in Edison, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.