Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fayetteville, GA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,650 in Fayetteville, GA, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Fayetteville, GA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,650
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,650 in Fayetteville, GA versus $1,835 in Nosara.

  • Fayetteville, GA $2,650
  • Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,824 in Fayetteville, GA versus $2,825 in Nosara.

  • Fayetteville, GA $3,824
  • Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,998 in Fayetteville, GA versus $3,814 in Nosara.

  • Fayetteville, GA $4,998
  • Nosara $3,814

Living in Fayetteville, GA is roughly 44% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fayetteville, GA 96% above, Nosara 35% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fayetteville, GA
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.39 $20.39
$12.34 ₡5,535
65.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.2 $60.2
$61.3 ₡27.5K
-1.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.29 $11.29
$7.76 ₡3,481
45.49%
Cappuccino
$5.15 $5.15
$4.44 ₡1,992
15.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 $3.05
$1.79 ₡803
70.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.29 ₡580
34.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.05 $6.05
$3.24 ₡1,451
86.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.09 $7.09
$4.43 ₡1,985
60.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fayetteville, GA
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.55 ₡696
-34.19%
White Bread (500g)
$3.62 $3.62
$3.08 ₡1,380
17.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.48 $4.48
$2.53 ₡1,133
77.08%
Eggs
$4.19 $4.19
$3.45 ₡1,546
21.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.57 $12.57
$7.32 ₡3,284
71.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.36 $11.36
$10.24 ₡4,594
10.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.86 $16.86
$14.10 ₡6,326
19.57%
Apples (1kg)
$4.93 $4.93
$2.29 ₡1,027
115.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.64 ₡737
8.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.20 $4.20
$4.79 ₡2,149
-12.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.82 $4.82
$1.64 ₡735
193.90%
Potato (1kg)
$2.73 $2.73
$3.85 ₡1,727
-29.09%
Onion (1kg)
$2.96 $2.96
$3.75 ₡1,681
-21.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.09 $2.09
$1.09 ₡488
91.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.31 $2.31
$2.59 ₡1,160
-10.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.11 $10.11
$5.12 ₡2,295
97.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.71 $14.71
$19.92 ₡8,931
-26.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 $1.84
$2.80 ₡1,255
-34.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$3.52 ₡1,580
-5.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Fayetteville, GA
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.22 ₡549
68.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.91 $34.91
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-52.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 $3.24
$2.17 ₡973
49.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.56 ₡698
12.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.23 $32.23
$8.67 ₡3,886
271.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 $0.97
$1.55 ₡697
-37.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K $28.4K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-17.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-32.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fayetteville, GA
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$220 $220
$94.8 ₡42.5K
131.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.1 $58.1
$36.15 ₡16.2K
60.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.9 $70.9
$53.1 ₡23.8K
33.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fayetteville, GA
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.47 $45.47
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-38.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.01 $16.01
$7.91 ₡3,548
102.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fayetteville, GA
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,247 $1,247
$490 ₡219.9K
154.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.7K $20.7K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
74.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fayetteville, GA
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.4 $50.4
$54.8 ₡24.6K
-8.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.08 $45.08
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-19.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.6 $84.6
$80.4 ₡36.0K
5.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 $110
$77.9 ₡34.9K
40.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fayetteville, GA
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,611 $1,611
$801 ₡359.1K
101.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,318 $1,318
$790 ₡354.1K
66.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,524 $2,524
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-36.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,166 $2,166
$1,409 ₡632.0K
53.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,922 $2,922
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-58.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,709 $2,709
$1,236 ₡554.3K
119.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fayetteville, GA
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$887 ₡397.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
8.62
-23.78%

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

Last update for Fayetteville, GA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fayetteville, GA
$1.3K
Nosara
$790 40.1% $529
Groceries & Markets
Fayetteville, GA
$398
Nosara
$350 12.1% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fayetteville, GA
$349
Nosara
$184 47.3% $165
Eating Out
Fayetteville, GA
$322
Nosara
$213 34% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Fayetteville, GA
$130
Nosara
$121 7.1% $9.3
Sport & Entertainment
Fayetteville, GA
$77
Nosara
$90 15.6% $12
Getting Around
Fayetteville, GA
$55
Nosara
$89 61% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,611 in Fayetteville, GA and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Fayetteville, GA vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $398 vs $350, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Fayetteville, GA
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
16:06 4:06 PM
14:06 2:06 PM
2 h behind Fayetteville, GA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
93,949
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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
  • Fayetteville, GA Nosara 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Fayetteville, GA
  • 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, GA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Fayetteville, GA or Nosara?
Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Fayetteville, GA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Fayetteville, GA and in Nosara?
You'd need roughly $3,975 in Fayetteville, GA and $2,753 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Fayetteville, GA compared to Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,611 in Fayetteville, GA versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Fayetteville, GA compared to Nosara?
A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 112% less than in Fayetteville, GA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Fayetteville, GA and in Nosara?
Childcare runs $1,247 in Fayetteville, GA versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Fayetteville, GA or in Nosara?
At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,650 in Fayetteville, GA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Fayetteville, GA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Fayetteville, GA or Nosara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.
How safe is Fayetteville, GA compared to Nosara?
Safety-wise, Fayetteville, GA 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Fayetteville, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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