Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Florence, AL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Florence, AL: $1,638 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Florence, AL
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Florence, AL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Florence, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,638

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Florence, AL vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Florence, AL $1,638
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,457 per month in Florence, AL vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Florence, AL $2,457
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,276 per month in Florence, AL vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Florence, AL $3,276
Nosara $3,818

Florence, AL is about 11% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Florence, AL and Nosara sit above the global median – Florence, AL by 21%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.17 $15.17

$12.35 ₡5,539

22.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.0 $63.0

$61.2 ₡27.4K

2.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.52 $11.52

$7.52 ₡3,373

53.19%

Cappuccino

$4.75 $4.75

$4.41 ₡1,978

7.71%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$1.74 ₡780

48.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.31 ₡587

61.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.28 ₡1,471

4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 $4.93

$4.47 ₡2,004

10.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.56 ₡701

-26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.02 ₡1,355

22.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.51 ₡1,125

61.75%

Eggs

$4.33 $4.33

$3.57 ₡1,603

21.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 $8.27

$7.43 ₡3,333

11.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 $13.49

$10.52 ₡4,717

28.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.60 $11.60

$13.97 ₡6,265

-16.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.35 ₡1,052

110.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.61 ₡720

-3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$4.80 ₡2,152

-12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$1.61 ₡724

178.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.80 ₡1,703

-36.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.69 ₡1,657

-36.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.13 ₡507

50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.66 ₡1,191

-15.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$5.18 ₡2,321

91.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$19.88 ₡8,916

-82.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.90 ₡1,300

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$3.63 ₡1,626

-59.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.14 ₡958

128.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.57 ₡703

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.35 $21.35

$8.52 ₡3,823

150.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.52 ₡682

-40.13%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

22.76%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.16%

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

$200 $200

$96.3 ₡43.2K

107.63%

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

$71.9 $71.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

100.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 $55.8

$53.6 ₡24.0K

4.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 $11.39

$7.89 ₡3,539

44.36%

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

$902 $902

$494 ₡221.6K

82.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.8K $29.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

151.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.25 $35.25

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-34.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.75 $24.75

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-55.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 $81.3

$77.9 ₡34.9K

4.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.2 $50.2

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-36.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 $768

$788 ₡353.4K

-2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 $579

$794 ₡356.2K

-27.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 $1,137

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-71.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$965 $965

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-31.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,671 $1,671

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-75.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,677 $1,677

$1,224 ₡549.0K

37.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,844 $2,844

$864 ₡387.3K

229.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.22

8.62

-27.84%

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

Last update for Florence, AL: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Florence, AL

$579 35.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 37.1% $215

Groceries & Markets

Florence, AL

$350 21.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 0.6% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Florence, AL

$328 20%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 43.3% $142

Eating Out

Florence, AL

$259 15.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 18.2% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Florence, AL

$86 5.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 39.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Florence, AL

$23 * 1.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 284% $65

Getting Around

Florence, AL

$13 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 582% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Florence, AL 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 229% higher in Florence, AL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Florence, AL versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Florence, AL vs $352 in Nosara – so Florence, AL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Florence, AL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

10:47 10:47 AM

1 h behind Florence, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,184

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Florence, AL Nosara 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Florence, AL
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

Florence, AL vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 12% more than Florence, AL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Florence, AL 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 Florence, AL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,638 in Florence, AL and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 12%.

Kindergarten costs $902 per month in Florence, AL and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Florence, AL, where all-in costs run around $1,638, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Florence, AL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Florence, AL costs $1,638 versus $1,839 in Nosara. 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 Florence, AL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.