Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garland, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,590 in Garland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Garland, TX
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Garland, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Garland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,590

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,590 per month in Garland, TX vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Garland, TX $2,590
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,751 per month in Garland, TX vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Garland, TX $3,751
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,912 per month in Garland, TX vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Garland, TX $4,912
Nosara $3,712

Garland, TX costs about 41% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Garland, TX and Nosara sit above the global median – Garland, TX by 93%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$12.22 ₡5,509

61.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.4 $54.4

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-9.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 $10.02

$7.54 ₡3,399

32.89%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$4.31 ₡1,941

31.79%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$1.72 ₡773

52.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.35 ₡608

72.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 $5.53

$3.24 ₡1,459

70.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$4.48 ₡2,018

65.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.57 ₡707

-41.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.17 ₡1,429

19.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.42 ₡1,091

119.83%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$3.57 ₡1,609

26.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.43 ₡3,349

5.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$10.42 ₡4,697

12.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 $19.34

$13.66 ₡6,156

41.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$2.32 ₡1,044

128.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.61 ₡728

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$4.74 ₡2,138

10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$1.66 ₡747

165.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.72 ₡1,679

-44.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.57 ₡1,611

-41.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.10 ₡497

93.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.55 ₡1,149

-43.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 $9.64

$4.95 ₡2,232

94.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 $10.90

$20.01 ₡9,020

-45.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.79 ₡1,256

-27.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.53 ₡1,589

-7.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.19 ₡537

147.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 $96.7

$72.1 ₡32.5K

34.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.24 ₡1,011

33.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.55 ₡701

10.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.18 $24.18

$8.86 ₡3,993

172.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.57 ₡708

-38.22%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

67.10%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-24.85%

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

$202 $202

$93.5 ₡42.1K

116.67%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$35.11 ₡15.8K

54.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 $80.7

$51.5 ₡23.2K

56.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.85 $39.85

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-44.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 $16.24

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-54.18%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 $15.13

$7.84 ₡3,535

92.98%

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

$1,341 $1,341

$490 ₡220.7K

173.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K $28.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

141.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$53.5 ₡24.1K

12.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 $29.52

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-47.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$79.3 ₡35.7K

6.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$78.9 ₡35.6K

52.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 $1,518

$786 ₡354.3K

93.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 $1,276

$780 ₡351.6K

63.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,344 $2,344

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-39.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 $2,077

$1,407 ₡634.4K

47.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,256 $3,256

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-53.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,953 $1,953

$1,201 ₡541.3K

62.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,710 $3,710

$876 ₡395.0K

323.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

8.62

-23.20%

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

Last update for Garland, TX: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Garland, TX

$1.3K 48.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 38.9% $496

Groceries & Markets

Garland, TX

$378 14.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 7.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garland, TX

$337 12.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 46.6% $157

Eating Out

Garland, TX

$319 12.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 34.3% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Garland, TX

$133 5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 9.2% $12

Getting Around

Garland, TX

$120 4.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 27.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Garland, TX

$70 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 24.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,518 in Garland, TX versus $786 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 323% higher in Garland, TX, 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 $54.0 in Garland, TX versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $378 in Garland, TX vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Garland, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:02 9:02 PM

20:02 8:02 PM

1 h behind Garland, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,035

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Garland, TX Nosara 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Garland, TX
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

Garland, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,590 in Garland, TX, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,885 per month in Garland, TX and $2,756 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,341 per month in Garland, TX and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Garland, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Garland, TX at $2,590. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Garland, TX 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $2,590 in Garland, TX. 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, Garland, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.