Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gloucester, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,856 in Gloucester, MA, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Gloucester, MA
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Gloucester, MA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Gloucester, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,856

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,856 per month in Gloucester, MA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Gloucester, MA $2,856
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,139 per month in Gloucester, MA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Gloucester, MA $4,139
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,421 per month in Gloucester, MA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Gloucester, MA $5,421
Nosara $3,818

Gloucester, MA costs about 55% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Gloucester, MA and Nosara sit above the global median – Gloucester, MA by 112%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.46 $21.46

$12.35 ₡5,539

73.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 $74.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

21.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 $11.36

$7.52 ₡3,373

51.06%

Cappuccino

$4.78 $4.78

$4.41 ₡1,978

8.39%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.74 ₡780

49.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.31 ₡587

33.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 $5.62

$3.28 ₡1,471

71.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 $7.02

$4.47 ₡2,004

57.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.56 ₡701

-35.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.02 ₡1,355

17.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.51 ₡1,125

72.51%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$3.57 ₡1,603

18.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.43 ₡3,333

66.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.35 $11.35

$10.52 ₡4,717

7.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.80 $16.80

$13.97 ₡6,265

20.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.35 ₡1,052

111.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.61 ₡720

-3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.80 ₡2,152

-8.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$1.61 ₡724

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.80 ₡1,703

-28.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.69 ₡1,657

-18.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.13 ₡507

86.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.66 ₡1,191

-16.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$5.18 ₡2,321

96.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$19.88 ₡8,916

-23.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.90 ₡1,300

-24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.63 ₡1,626

6.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.12 ₡504

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.50 $30.50

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-58.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.14 ₡958

42.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.57 ₡703

17.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.90 $31.90

$8.52 ₡3,823

274.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.52 ₡682

-25.66%

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

$33.8K $33.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

56.53%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.37%

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

$197 $197

$96.3 ₡43.2K

105.08%

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

$57.7 $57.7

$35.89 ₡16.1K

60.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

31.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.14 $47.14

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-34.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 $14.57

$7.89 ₡3,539

84.66%

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

$1,320 $1,320

$494 ₡221.6K

167.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

87.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$53.9 ₡24.2K

0.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 $41.77

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-24.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 $147

$77.9 ₡34.9K

89.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$79.6 ₡35.7K

43.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 $1,700

$788 ₡353.4K

115.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$794 ₡356.2K

91.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 $3,027

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-23.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 $2,483

$1,419 ₡636.5K

74.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 $2,398

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-65.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,115 $2,115

$1,224 ₡549.0K

72.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,398 $2,398

$864 ₡387.3K

177.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Gloucester, MA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gloucester, MA

$1.5K 53.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 47.8% $727

Groceries & Markets

Gloucester, MA

$398 13.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 11.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gloucester, MA

$326 11.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 43% $140

Eating Out

Gloucester, MA

$323 11.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 34.4% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Gloucester, MA

$161 5.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 25.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Gloucester, MA

$76 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 14.6% $11

Getting Around

Gloucester, MA

$51 1.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 70.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,700 in Gloucester, MA 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 178% higher in Gloucester, MA, 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 $74.0 in Gloucester, MA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Gloucester, MA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

01:59 1:59 AM

2 h behind Gloucester, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,729

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Gloucester, MA Nosara 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Gloucester, MA
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

Gloucester, MA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gloucester, MA is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,284 per month in Gloucester, MA 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,320 per month in Gloucester, MA and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Gloucester, MA, 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 Gloucester, MA at $2,856. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gloucester, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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