Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glendale, AZ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,173 in Glendale, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Glendale, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,173

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,173 per month in Glendale, AZ vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Glendale, AZ $2,173
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,425 per month in Glendale, AZ vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Glendale, AZ $3,425
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,676 per month in Glendale, AZ vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Glendale, AZ $4,676
Nosara $3,818

Glendale, AZ costs about 18% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Glendale, AZ and Nosara sit above the global median – Glendale, AZ by 61%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.13 $15.13

$12.35 ₡5,539

22.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 $62.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

1.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.45 $12.45

$7.52 ₡3,373

65.56%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$4.41 ₡1,978

22.00%

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

$2.17 $2.17

$1.74 ₡780

24.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.31 ₡587

49.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$3.28 ₡1,471

116.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 $7.21

$4.47 ₡2,004

61.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.56 ₡701

-38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.02 ₡1,355

7.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.51 ₡1,125

103.59%

Eggs

$4.54 $4.54

$3.57 ₡1,603

27.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 $13.36

$7.43 ₡3,333

79.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$10.52 ₡4,717

7.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.92 $16.92

$13.97 ₡6,265

21.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.35 ₡1,052

94.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.61 ₡720

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.80 ₡2,152

-17.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$1.61 ₡724

155.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.80 ₡1,703

-35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.69 ₡1,657

-21.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.13 ₡507

88.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.66 ₡1,191

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.47 $10.47

$5.18 ₡2,321

102.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 $13.35

$19.88 ₡8,916

-32.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.90 ₡1,300

-38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.63 ₡1,626

3.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.12 ₡504

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.14 ₡958

27.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.57 ₡703

-14.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.46 $35.46

$8.52 ₡3,823

316.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.52 ₡682

-32.89%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

67.06%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.83%

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

$194 $194

$96.3 ₡43.2K

101.78%

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

$48.28 $48.28

$35.89 ₡16.1K

34.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 $66.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

23.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.52 $34.52

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-51.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 $9.95

$7.89 ₡3,539

26.11%

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

$1,089 $1,089

$494 ₡221.6K

120.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

32.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$53.9 ₡24.2K

0.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.94 $42.94

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-22.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 $88.2

$77.9 ₡34.9K

13.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$79.6 ₡35.7K

29.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,360 $1,360

$788 ₡353.4K

72.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$794 ₡356.2K

24.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 $2,469

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-37.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 $2,105

$1,419 ₡636.5K

48.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,716 $3,716

$864 ₡387.3K

330.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.23

8.62

-27.73%

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

Last update for Glendale, AZ: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glendale, AZ

$985 45.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 19.4% $191

Groceries & Markets

Glendale, AZ

$388 17.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 9.3% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glendale, AZ

$309 14.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 39.9% $123

Eating Out

Glendale, AZ

$289 13.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 26.8% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Glendale, AZ

$130 6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 7.5% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Glendale, AZ

$54 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 60.5% $33

Getting Around

Glendale, AZ

$18 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 396% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,360 in Glendale, 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 330% higher in Glendale, 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 $62.0 in Glendale, AZ versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Glendale, AZ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

17:16 5:16 PM

1 h ahead of Glendale, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,831

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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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Between locations

Glendale, AZ Nosara 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Glendale, 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

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

Glendale, AZ costs about 18% 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 $3,260 per month in Glendale, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Glendale, AZ and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Glendale, AZ, 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 $1,839, than in Glendale, AZ at $2,173. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glendale, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,173 in Glendale, 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, Glendale, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.