Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fargo, ND and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,026 in Fargo, ND, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Fargo, ND despite lower rent and utilities.

Fargo, ND
🇺🇸 United States
$2,026
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,026 per month in Fargo, ND vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Fargo, ND $2,026
  • Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,226 per month in Fargo, ND vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Fargo, ND $3,226
  • Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,426 per month in Fargo, ND vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Fargo, ND $4,426
  • Nosara $3,814

Fargo, ND costs about 10% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fargo, ND and Nosara sit above the global median – Fargo, ND by 49%, Nosara by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fargo, ND
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.26 $17.26
$12.34 ₡5,535
39.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.7 $60.7
$61.3 ₡27.5K
-1.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.73 $11.73
$7.76 ₡3,481
51.16%
Cappuccino
$5.15 $5.15
$4.44 ₡1,992
15.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.79 ₡803
44.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.29 ₡580
58.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.34 $5.34
$3.24 ₡1,451
64.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.13 $9.13
$4.43 ₡1,985
106.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fargo, ND
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.55 ₡696
-18.06%
White Bread (500g)
$3.52 $3.52
$3.08 ₡1,380
14.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.52 $7.52
$2.53 ₡1,133
197.23%
Eggs
$4.04 $4.04
$3.45 ₡1,546
17.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.80 $14.80
$7.32 ₡3,284
102.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.50 $15.50
$10.24 ₡4,594
51.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.19 $21.19
$14.10 ₡6,326
50.28%
Apples (1kg)
$10.51 $10.51
$2.29 ₡1,027
358.95%
Banana (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.64 ₡737
43.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.59 $6.59
$4.79 ₡2,149
37.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.44 $5.44
$1.64 ₡735
231.71%
Potato (1kg)
$4.87 $4.87
$3.85 ₡1,727
26.49%
Onion (1kg)
$3.81 $3.81
$3.75 ₡1,681
1.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.09 ₡488
84.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.62 $2.62
$2.59 ₡1,160
1.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.77 $8.77
$5.12 ₡2,295
71.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.54 $18.54
$19.92 ₡8,931
-6.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.54 $2.54
$2.80 ₡1,255
-9.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 $5.44
$3.52 ₡1,580
54.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Fargo, ND
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.22 ₡549
20.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.33 $41.33
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-44.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.52 $4.52
$2.17 ₡973
108.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.56 ₡698
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.67 ₡3,886
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.55 ₡697
-36.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.0K $27.0K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-21.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-33.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fargo, ND
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 $136
$94.8 ₡42.5K
43.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.2 $58.2
$36.15 ₡16.2K
60.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.3 $57.3
$53.1 ₡23.8K
7.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fargo, ND
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 $57.1
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-22.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.79 $13.79
$7.91 ₡3,548
74.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fargo, ND
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,244 $1,244
$490 ₡219.9K
153.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fargo, ND
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.0 $51.0
$54.8 ₡24.6K
-6.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.99 $45.99
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-17.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.7 $84.7
$80.4 ₡36.0K
5.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$77.9 ₡34.9K
32.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fargo, ND
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$954 $954
$801 ₡359.1K
19.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$689 $689
$790 ₡354.1K
-12.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,252 $2,252
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-43.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,452 $1,452
$1,409 ₡632.0K
3.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,898 $1,898
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-73.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,673 $1,673
$1,236 ₡554.3K
35.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fargo, ND
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,824 $3,824
$887 ₡397.6K
331.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.43
8.62
-25.41%

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

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fargo, ND
$689
Nosara
$790 14.6% $101
Groceries & Markets
Fargo, ND
$522
Nosara
$350 33% $173
Eating Out
Fargo, ND
$299
Nosara
$213 28.8% $86
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fargo, ND
$251
Nosara
$184 26.8% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Fargo, ND
$128
Nosara
$121 5.6% $7.2
Sport & Entertainment
Fargo, ND
$85
Nosara
$90 5.8% $4.9
Getting Around
Fargo, ND
$52 *
Nosara
$89 71.6% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Fargo, ND versus $801 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 331% higher in Fargo, ND, 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 $61.0 in Fargo, ND versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $522 in Fargo, ND vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Fargo, ND
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
03:42 3:42 AM
02:42 2:42 AM
1 h behind Fargo, ND
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
90,056
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fargo, ND Nosara 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Fargo, ND
  • 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
Fargo, ND vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Fargo, ND or Nosara?
Fargo, ND costs about 10% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Fargo, ND and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,038 per month in Fargo, ND and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Fargo, ND or Nosara?
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.
How do dining costs compare in Fargo, ND and in Nosara?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Fargo, ND and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Fargo, ND compared to Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,026 in Fargo, ND and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 10%.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Fargo, ND or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Fargo, ND at $2,026. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fargo, ND it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Fargo, ND or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,026 in Fargo, ND. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Fargo, ND compared to Nosara?
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.
Should I move to Fargo, ND or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fargo, ND makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Fargo, ND vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?