Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairbanks, AK and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,975 in Fairbanks, AK, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Fairbanks, AK
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Fairbanks, AK Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Fairbanks, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,975

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,975 per month in Fairbanks, AK vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Fairbanks, AK $2,975
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,357 per month in Fairbanks, AK vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Fairbanks, AK $4,357
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,739 per month in Fairbanks, AK vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Fairbanks, AK $5,739
Nosara $3,712

Fairbanks, AK costs about 62% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fairbanks, AK and Nosara sit above the global median – Fairbanks, AK by 122%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 $25.15

$12.22 ₡5,509

105.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$60.2 ₡27.1K

68.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.25 $15.25

$7.54 ₡3,399

102.25%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$4.31 ₡1,941

42.00%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$1.72 ₡773

59.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.35 ₡608

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 $6.79

$3.24 ₡1,459

109.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$4.48 ₡2,018

119.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.57 ₡707

-28.03%

White Bread (500g)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.17 ₡1,429

69.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.42 ₡1,091

93.39%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$3.57 ₡1,609

18.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.64 $21.64

$7.43 ₡3,349

191.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 $9.08

$10.42 ₡4,697

-12.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.45 $20.45

$13.66 ₡6,156

49.71%

Apples (1kg)

$7.64 $7.64

$2.32 ₡1,044

229.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.61 ₡728

29.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$4.74 ₡2,138

24.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$1.66 ₡747

272.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.72 ₡1,679

-0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.57 ₡1,611

1.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.10 ₡497

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.55 ₡1,149

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$4.95 ₡2,232

145.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 $12.01

$20.01 ₡9,020

-39.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.79 ₡1,256

-37.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.19 ₡537

29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.97 $39.97

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-44.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.24 ₡1,011

60.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.55 ₡701

37.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.48 $45.48

$8.86 ₡3,993

413.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.57 ₡708

-18.47%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$209 $209

$93.5 ₡42.1K

124.04%

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

$63.2 $63.2

$35.11 ₡15.8K

79.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$142 $142

$51.5 ₡23.2K

176.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 $98.7

$71.4 ₡32.2K

38.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$18.05 $18.05

$7.84 ₡3,535

130.23%

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

$1,826 $1,826

$490 ₡220.7K

273.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$53.5 ₡24.1K

10.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.69 $40.69

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-27.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$79.3 ₡35.7K

49.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$78.9 ₡35.6K

50.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 $1,596

$786 ₡354.3K

103.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 $1,379

$780 ₡351.6K

76.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 $2,605

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-32.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 $2,197

$1,407 ₡634.4K

56.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,984 $1,984

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-71.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,029 $2,029

$1,201 ₡541.3K

69.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,943 $3,943

$876 ₡395.0K

349.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

8.62

-22.16%

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

Last update for Fairbanks, AK: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairbanks, AK

$1.4K 46%

Nosara

$780 43% 43.4% $599

Groceries & Markets

Fairbanks, AK

$463 * 15.5%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 24.5% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairbanks, AK

$415 13.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 56.6% $235

Eating Out

Fairbanks, AK

$393 13.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 46.7% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Fairbanks, AK

$152 5.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 20.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Fairbanks, AK

$135 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 35.4% $48

Getting Around

Fairbanks, AK

$60 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 43.8% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,596 in Fairbanks, AK versus $786 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 350% higher in Fairbanks, AK, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Fairbanks, AK versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $463 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairbanks, AK

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:11 5:11 PM

19:11 7:11 PM

2 h ahead of Fairbanks, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,515

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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Fairbanks, AK Nosara 7,710 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Fairbanks, AK
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

Fairbanks, AK vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Fairbanks, AK is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,462 per month in Fairbanks, AK and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Fairbanks, AK, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Fairbanks, AK and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Fairbanks, AK at $2,975. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fairbanks, AK it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fairbanks, AK makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.