Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fayetteville, AR and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,352 in Fayetteville, AR, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Fayetteville, AR
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Fayetteville, AR Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Fayetteville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,352

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,352 per month in Fayetteville, AR vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Fayetteville, AR $2,352
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,522 per month in Fayetteville, AR vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Fayetteville, AR $3,522
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,693 per month in Fayetteville, AR vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Fayetteville, AR $4,693
Nosara $3,818

Fayetteville, AR costs about 28% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Fayetteville, AR and Nosara sit above the global median – Fayetteville, AR by 74%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.60 $16.60

$12.35 ₡5,539

34.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 $77.6

$61.2 ₡27.4K

26.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 $9.69

$7.52 ₡3,373

28.86%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$4.41 ₡1,978

22.45%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$1.74 ₡780

27.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.31 ₡587

23.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.28 ₡1,471

87.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.47 ₡2,004

55.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.56 ₡701

-42.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.02 ₡1,355

21.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.51 ₡1,125

43.03%

Eggs

$5.46 $5.46

$3.57 ₡1,603

52.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.17 $8.17

$7.43 ₡3,333

9.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 $8.77

$10.52 ₡4,717

-16.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 $13.23

$13.97 ₡6,265

-5.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.35 ₡1,052

93.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.61 ₡720

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.80 ₡2,152

-41.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.61 ₡724

153.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.80 ₡1,703

-50.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.69 ₡1,657

-32.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.13 ₡507

33.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.66 ₡1,191

-26.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.59 $8.59

$5.18 ₡2,321

65.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 $14.23

$19.88 ₡8,916

-28.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.90 ₡1,300

-34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.63 ₡1,626

-10.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.14 ₡958

28.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.57 ₡703

-22.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.37 $30.37

$8.52 ₡3,823

256.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.52 ₡682

-40.79%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

63.40%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.10%

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

$175 $175

$96.3 ₡43.2K

81.65%

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

$56.4 $56.4

$35.89 ₡16.1K

57.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 $61.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

14.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.3 $72.3

$71.6 ₡32.1K

1.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 $9.85

$7.89 ₡3,539

24.84%

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

$1,090 $1,090

$494 ₡221.6K

120.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

100.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-1.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.93 $41.93

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-24.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$77.9 ₡34.9K

34.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$79.6 ₡35.7K

77.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 $1,447

$788 ₡353.4K

83.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 $1,181

$794 ₡356.2K

48.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 $2,852

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-27.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 $2,062

$1,419 ₡636.5K

45.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 $2,636

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-61.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 $2,231

$1,224 ₡549.0K

82.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,494 $3,494

$864 ₡387.3K

304.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

8.62

-25.17%

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

Last update for Fayetteville, AR: 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

Fayetteville, AR

$1.2K 50.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 32.7% $386

Groceries & Markets

Fayetteville, AR

$338 14.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 4.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fayetteville, AR

$293 12.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 36.5% $107

Eating Out

Fayetteville, AR

$287 12.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 26.1% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Fayetteville, AR

$153 6.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 21.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Fayetteville, AR

$92 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 5% $4.6

Getting Around

Fayetteville, AR

$8.9 * 0.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 884% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,447 in Fayetteville, AR versus $788 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 305% higher in Fayetteville, AR, 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 $78.0 in Fayetteville, AR versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $338 in Fayetteville, AR vs $352 in Nosara – so Fayetteville, AR wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fayetteville, AR

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:27 9:27 AM

08:27 8:27 AM

1 h behind Fayetteville, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,949

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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Highest

Between locations

Fayetteville, AR Nosara 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fayetteville, AR
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

Fayetteville, AR vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,352 in Fayetteville, AR, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,528 per month in Fayetteville, AR and $2,758 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Fayetteville, AR and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Fayetteville, AR – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Fayetteville, AR at $2,352. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fayetteville, AR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,352 in Fayetteville, AR. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Fayetteville, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.