Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Island, NE and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,578 in Grand Island, NE, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Grand Island, NE
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Grand Island, NE Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Grand Island, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,578

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,578 per month in Grand Island, NE vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Grand Island, NE $2,578
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,745 per month in Grand Island, NE vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Grand Island, NE $3,745
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,912 per month in Grand Island, NE vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Grand Island, NE $4,912
Nosara $3,814

Grand Island, NE costs about 40% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Grand Island, NE and Nosara sit above the global median – Grand Island, NE by 90%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.33 $19.33

$12.34 ₡5,535

56.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$61.3 ₡27.5K

24.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 $11.19

$7.76 ₡3,481

44.20%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$4.44 ₡1,992

13.74%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$1.79 ₡803

37.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.29 ₡580

58.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$3.24 ₡1,451

89.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.43 ₡1,985

57.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.55 ₡696

-35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.08 ₡1,380

12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.53 ₡1,133

66.80%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$3.45 ₡1,546

18.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 $12.09

$7.32 ₡3,284

65.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$10.24 ₡4,594

10.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 $15.15

$14.10 ₡6,326

7.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.29 ₡1,027

119.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.64 ₡737

-1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$4.79 ₡2,149

-10.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.64 ₡735

184.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.85 ₡1,727

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.75 ₡1,681

-24.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.09 ₡488

90.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.59 ₡1,160

-18.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.50 $9.50

$5.12 ₡2,295

85.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 $13.81

$19.92 ₡8,931

-30.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.80 ₡1,255

-33.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.52 ₡1,580

-6.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.22 ₡549

60.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.17 ₡973

63.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.56 ₡698

2.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 $29.56

$8.67 ₡3,886

240.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.55 ₡697

-43.23%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-14.27%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-35.02%

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

$184 $184

$94.8 ₡42.5K

94.48%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$36.15 ₡16.2K

47.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$53.1 ₡23.8K

25.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.18 $42.18

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-42.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.66 $13.66

$7.91 ₡3,548

72.69%

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

$1,284 $1,284

$490 ₡219.9K

161.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

93.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 $51.4

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-6.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.71 $39.71

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-28.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$80.4 ₡36.0K

5.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$77.9 ₡34.9K

44.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 $1,625

$801 ₡359.1K

102.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,360 $1,360

$790 ₡354.1K

72.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,613 $2,613

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-34.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,196 $2,196

$1,409 ₡632.0K

55.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,754 $2,754

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-61.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,473 $2,473

$1,236 ₡554.3K

100.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

8.62

-24.48%

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

Last update for Grand Island, NE: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Grand Island, NE

$1.4K 52.8%

Nosara

$790 43% 42% $571

Groceries & Markets

Grand Island, NE

$383 14.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 8.7% $33

Eating Out

Grand Island, NE

$312 12.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 31.8% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grand Island, NE

$304 11.8%

Nosara

$184 10% 39.5% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Grand Island, NE

$130 5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 6.8% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Grand Island, NE

$69 2.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 29% $20

Getting Around

Grand Island, NE

$19 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 358% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,625 in Grand Island, NE versus $801 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Grand Island, NE versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Grand Island, NE

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:45 9:45 PM

20:45 8:45 PM

1 h behind Grand Island, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,632

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Grand Island, NE Nosara 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Grand Island, NE
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

Grand Island, NE vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Grand Island, NE is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,866 per month in Grand Island, NE and $2,753 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 $76.0 in Grand Island, NE 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 Grand Island, NE, 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 $1,835, than in Grand Island, NE at $2,578. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Grand Island, NE 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, Grand Island, NE makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.