Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabeth, NJ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Elizabeth, NJ $3,186
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Elizabeth, NJ $4,453
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Elizabeth, NJ $5,720
Nosara $3,814

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elizabeth, NJ 135% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$12.34 ₡5,535

59.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$61.3 ₡27.5K

31.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$7.76 ₡3,481

53.22%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$4.44 ₡1,992

22.75%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.79 ₡803

35.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.29 ₡580

15.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$3.24 ₡1,451

140.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$4.43 ₡1,985

61.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.55 ₡696

-18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.08 ₡1,380

46.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.53 ₡1,133

135.57%

Eggs

$6.52 $6.52

$3.45 ₡1,546

88.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$7.32 ₡3,284

109.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$10.24 ₡4,594

15.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 $19.73

$14.10 ₡6,326

39.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$2.29 ₡1,027

159.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.64 ₡737

116.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.79 ₡2,149

-12.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$1.64 ₡735

230.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.85 ₡1,727

-22.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.75 ₡1,681

-21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.09 ₡488

175.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.59 ₡1,160

-2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.62 $14.62

$5.12 ₡2,295

185.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$19.92 ₡8,931

-23.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.80 ₡1,255

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.52 ₡1,580

-3.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.22 ₡549

136.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 $76.0

$73.9 ₡33.1K

2.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.17 ₡973

34.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.56 ₡698

35.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.39 $42.39

$8.67 ₡3,886

388.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.55 ₡697

-29.68%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.12%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.14%

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

$247 $247

$94.8 ₡42.5K

160.88%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$36.15 ₡16.2K

41.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 $50.1

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-5.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 $24.78

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-66.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$20.03 $20.03

$7.91 ₡3,548

153.22%

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

$2,012 $2,012

$490 ₡219.9K

310.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

36.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 $49.63

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-9.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.6 $77.6

$55.9 ₡25.1K

38.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$80.4 ₡36.0K

9.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$77.9 ₡34.9K

56.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$801 ₡359.1K

172.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$790 ₡354.1K

117.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-33.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$1,409 ₡632.0K

76.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,297 $1,297

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-81.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 $1,143

$1,236 ₡554.3K

-7.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,997 $3,997

$887 ₡397.6K

350.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

8.62

-22.62%

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

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9%

Nosara

$790 43% 54% $928

Groceries & Markets

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 26.4% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9%

Nosara

$184 10% 47.2% $164

Eating Out

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 35.1% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 20.1% $31

Getting Around

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 12.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 38.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elizabeth, NJ pays 351% 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: $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:51 8:51 PM

18:51 6:51 PM

2 h behind Elizabeth, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,179

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Elizabeth, NJ Nosara 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Elizabeth, 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

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

Elizabeth, NJ and Nosara differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($3,186 vs $1,835 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 351% higher in Elizabeth, 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: $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,012 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Elizabeth, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Elizabeth, 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, Elizabeth, 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 Elizabeth, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.