Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Flagstaff, AZ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,965 in Flagstaff, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Flagstaff, AZ
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Flagstaff, AZ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Flagstaff, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,965

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,965 per month in Flagstaff, AZ vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Flagstaff, AZ $2,965
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,337 per month in Flagstaff, AZ vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Flagstaff, AZ $4,337
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,710 per month in Flagstaff, AZ vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Flagstaff, AZ $5,710
Nosara $3,818

Flagstaff, AZ costs about 61% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Flagstaff, AZ and Nosara sit above the global median – Flagstaff, AZ by 120%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 $19.64

$12.35 ₡5,539

59.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

32.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.61 $14.61

$7.52 ₡3,373

94.28%

Cappuccino

$6.23 $6.23

$4.41 ₡1,978

41.27%

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

$3.31 $3.31

$1.74 ₡780

90.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.31 ₡587

86.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$3.28 ₡1,471

83.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$4.47 ₡2,004

54.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.56 ₡701

-49.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 $2.59

$3.02 ₡1,355

-14.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.51 ₡1,125

66.14%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.57 ₡1,603

21.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.39 $14.39

$7.43 ₡3,333

93.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$10.52 ₡4,717

-28.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$13.97 ₡6,265

-20.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.35 ₡1,052

63.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.61 ₡720

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$4.80 ₡2,152

-24.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.61 ₡724

132.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$3.80 ₡1,703

-39.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.69 ₡1,657

-40.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.13 ₡507

97.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.66 ₡1,191

-0.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 $10.38

$5.18 ₡2,321

100.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$19.88 ₡8,916

-38.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.90 ₡1,300

-25.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$3.63 ₡1,626

-36.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.12 ₡504

-8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.46 $31.46

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-56.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.14 ₡958

24.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.57 ₡703

-14.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.63 $36.63

$8.52 ₡3,823

329.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.52 ₡682

-25.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

66.51%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.84%

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

$242 $242

$96.3 ₡43.2K

151.12%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$35.89 ₡16.1K

45.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.5 $76.5

$53.6 ₡24.0K

42.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 $68.9

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-3.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-42.31%

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 $13.77

$7.89 ₡3,539

74.52%

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

$1,845 $1,845

$494 ₡221.6K

273.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

95.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 $62.8

$53.9 ₡24.2K

16.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.23 $35.23

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-36.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$77.9 ₡34.9K

41.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$79.6 ₡35.7K

67.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 $2,008

$788 ₡353.4K

154.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 $1,620

$794 ₡356.2K

103.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 $3,420

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-13.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,785 $2,785

$1,419 ₡636.5K

96.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,586 $4,586

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-33.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,299 $4,299

$1,224 ₡549.0K

251.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 $3,743

$864 ₡387.3K

333.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

8.62

-25.06%

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

Last update for Flagstaff, AZ: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Flagstaff, AZ

$1.6K 54.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 51% $825

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Flagstaff, AZ

$370 12.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 49.9% $185

Eating Out

Flagstaff, AZ

$343 11.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 38.2% $131

Groceries & Markets

Flagstaff, AZ

$337 11.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 4.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Flagstaff, AZ

$154 5.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 21.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Flagstaff, AZ

$96 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 9.4% $9

Getting Around

Flagstaff, AZ

$45 1.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 93.8% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,008 in Flagstaff, AZ 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 333% higher in Flagstaff, AZ, 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 $81.0 in Flagstaff, AZ versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $337 in Flagstaff, AZ vs $352 in Nosara – so Flagstaff, AZ wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Flagstaff, AZ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

11:21 11:21 AM

1 h ahead of Flagstaff, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,831

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Flagstaff, AZ Nosara 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Flagstaff, AZ
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

Flagstaff, AZ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Flagstaff, AZ costs about 61% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,448 per month in Flagstaff, AZ 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.

Public transport costs about 131% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,845 per month in Flagstaff, AZ and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Flagstaff, AZ at $2,965. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Flagstaff, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,965 in Flagstaff, AZ. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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