Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Myers, FL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,047 in Fort Myers, FL, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Fort Myers, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$3,047
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,047 in Fort Myers, FL versus $1,837 in Nosara.

  • Fort Myers, FL $3,047
  • Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,385 in Fort Myers, FL versus $2,775 in Nosara.

  • Fort Myers, FL $4,385
  • Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,723 in Fort Myers, FL versus $3,712 in Nosara.

  • Fort Myers, FL $5,723
  • Nosara $3,712

Living in Fort Myers, FL is roughly 66% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Myers, FL 127% above, Nosara 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fort Myers, FL
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.24 $25.24
$12.22 ₡5,509
106.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.0 $80.0
$60.2 ₡27.1K
32.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.63 $12.63
$7.54 ₡3,399
67.51%
Cappuccino
$4.49 $4.49
$4.31 ₡1,941
4.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$1.72 ₡773
63.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.35 ₡608
45.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.91 $4.91
$3.24 ₡1,459
51.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.84 $5.84
$4.48 ₡2,018
30.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fort Myers, FL
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.57 ₡707
-31.85%
White Bread (500g)
$4.60 $4.60
$3.17 ₡1,429
45.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.98 $4.98
$2.42 ₡1,091
105.79%
Eggs
$4.08 $4.08
$3.57 ₡1,609
14.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.83 $9.83
$7.43 ₡3,349
32.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.40 $10.40
$10.42 ₡4,697
-0.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.96 $19.96
$13.66 ₡6,156
46.12%
Apples (1kg)
$5.90 $5.90
$2.32 ₡1,044
154.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 $1.43
$1.61 ₡728
-11.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.35 $4.35
$4.74 ₡2,138
-8.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.32 $5.32
$1.66 ₡747
220.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.91 $2.91
$3.72 ₡1,679
-21.77%
Onion (1kg)
$3.86 $3.86
$3.57 ₡1,611
8.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.77 $2.77
$1.10 ₡497
151.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 $1.81
$2.55 ₡1,149
-29.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.09 $9.09
$4.95 ₡2,232
83.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.30 $17.30
$20.01 ₡9,020
-13.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.67 $2.67
$2.79 ₡1,256
-4.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 $2.12
$3.53 ₡1,589
-39.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Fort Myers, FL
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.19 ₡537
64.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.64 $39.64
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-45.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.91 $3.91
$2.24 ₡1,011
74.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.55 ₡701
23.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.10 $24.10
$8.86 ₡3,993
172.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.57 ₡708
-36.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K $32.6K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
49.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-25.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fort Myers, FL
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$186 $186
$93.5 ₡42.1K
99.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.6 $63.6
$35.11 ₡15.8K
81.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$81.3 $81.3
$51.5 ₡23.2K
57.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fort Myers, FL
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.61 $45.61
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-36.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.16 $20.16
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-43.12%
Cinema Ticket
$17.72 $17.72
$7.84 ₡3,535
126.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fort Myers, FL
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,881 $1,881
$490 ₡220.7K
284.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$42.2K $42.2K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
254.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fort Myers, FL
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.23 $46.23
$53.5 ₡24.1K
-13.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.20 $42.20
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-24.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.7 $89.7
$79.3 ₡35.7K
13.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.6 $99.6
$78.9 ₡35.6K
26.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fort Myers, FL
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,805 $1,805
$786 ₡354.3K
129.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,640 $1,640
$780 ₡351.6K
110.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,924 $2,924
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-24.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,725 $2,725
$1,407 ₡634.4K
93.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,693 $2,693
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-61.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,691 $2,691
$1,201 ₡541.3K
124.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fort Myers, FL
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,747 $3,747
$876 ₡395.0K
327.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.63
8.62
-23.09%

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

Last update for Fort Myers, FL: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fort Myers, FL
$1.6K
Nosara
$780 52.4% $860
Groceries & Markets
Fort Myers, FL
$418
Nosara
$350 16.3% $68
Eating Out
Fort Myers, FL
$349
Nosara
$209 40% $139
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fort Myers, FL
$331
Nosara
$180 45.7% $151
Clothing & Footwear
Fort Myers, FL
$125
Nosara
$120 3.7% $4.6
Sport & Entertainment
Fort Myers, FL
$81
Nosara
$87 7.5% $6
Getting Around
Fort Myers, FL
$61
Nosara
$87 42.4% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,805 in Fort Myers, FL and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Myers, FL pays 328% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Fort Myers, FL vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Fort Myers, FL
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
21:35 9:35 PM
19:35 7:35 PM
2 h behind Fort Myers, FL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
68,190
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fort Myers, FL Nosara 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Fort Myers, FL
  • 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
Fort Myers, FL vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Fort Myers, FL?
Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Fort Myers, FL or Nosara?
Average pay runs 328% higher in Fort Myers, FL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Fort Myers, FL and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,805 in Fort Myers, FL versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Fort Myers, FL and in Nosara?
Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Fort Myers, FL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Fort Myers, FL or in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $80.0 in Fort Myers, FL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Fort Myers, FL or in Nosara?
At $1,837 in Nosara versus $3,047 in Fort Myers, FL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Fort Myers, FL. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Fort Myers, FL or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fort Myers, FL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Fort Myers, FL or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Fort Myers, FL 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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Fort Myers, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Fort Myers, FL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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