Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Great Falls, MT and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,223 in Great Falls, MT, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Great Falls, MT
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Great Falls, MT Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,223

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $2,223
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $3,105 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $3,105
Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $3,987 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $3,987
Nosara $3,790

Great Falls, MT costs about 21% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Great Falls, MT and Nosara sit above the global median – Great Falls, MT by 64%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.08 $15.08

$12.38 ₡5,568

21.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.24 $39.24

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-35.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 $9.70

$7.81 ₡3,513

24.20%

Cappuccino

$4.38 $4.38

$4.37 ₡1,966

0.23%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$1.78 ₡800

37.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.35 ₡605

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$3.39 ₡1,526

76.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.31 ₡1,939

41.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.55 ₡699

-28.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.17 ₡1,425

5.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$2.51 ₡1,130

99.20%

Eggs

$3.27 $3.27

$3.53 ₡1,585

-7.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$7.37 ₡3,313

125.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$10.46 ₡4,703

-2.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 $12.15

$13.91 ₡6,255

-12.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.26 ₡1,018

119.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.56 ₡701

-10.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$4.70 ₡2,113

-11.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.62 ₡729

36.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.88 ₡1,746

-38.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.79 ₡1,704

-23.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.07 ₡481

124.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.61 ₡1,174

25.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.47 $8.47

$5.16 ₡2,319

64.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.94 $17.94

$20.33 ₡9,143

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.91 ₡1,310

-30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.67 ₡1,651

20.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.78 $29.78

$73.2 ₡32.9K

-59.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.19 ₡984

181.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.84 ₡829

-26.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.70 $39.70

$7.81 ₡3,513

408.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.56 ₡702

-37.18%

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

$32.7K $32.7K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-2.07%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-36.72%

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

$131 $131

$95.9 ₡43.1K

36.54%

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

$39.45 $39.45

$35.37 ₡15.9K

11.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$53.7 ₡24.1K

27.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 $63.4

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-6.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 $11.57

$7.72 ₡3,473

49.87%

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

$927 $927

$496 ₡222.8K

87.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

48.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.14 $25.14

$54.6 ₡24.6K

-53.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.60 $29.60

$55.0 ₡24.7K

-46.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 $80.7

$79.8 ₡35.9K

1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.4 $64.4

$77.9 ₡35.0K

-17.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 $1,420

$817 ₡367.5K

73.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 $1,111

$800 ₡359.7K

38.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,626 $2,626

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-32.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 $1,655

$1,396 ₡627.6K

18.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,207 $2,207

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-68.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,205 $2,205

$1,222 ₡549.6K

80.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,555 $3,555

$879 ₡395.3K

304.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

8.62

-28.07%

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

Last update for Great Falls, MT: November 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Great Falls, MT

$1.1K 50%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 28% $311

Groceries & Markets

Great Falls, MT

$392 17.7%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 10.1% $40

Eating Out

Great Falls, MT

$262 11.8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 18.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Great Falls, MT

$239 10.7%

Nosara

$185 10% 22.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Great Falls, MT

$90 4.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 33.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Great Falls, MT

$87 3.9%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 4.2% $3.6

Getting Around

Great Falls, MT

$43 * 1.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 111% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,420 in Great Falls, MT versus $817 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 in Great Falls, MT are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Great Falls, MT versus $61 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $392 in Great Falls, MT vs $353 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

10:14 10:14 AM

1 h ahead of Great Falls, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,442

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 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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Between locations

Great Falls, MT Nosara 4,820 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Great Falls, MT
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

Great Falls, MT vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Great Falls, MT costs about 21% 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 $3,334 per month in Great Falls, MT and $2,765 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,420 in Great Falls, MT.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Great Falls, MT, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39 in Great Falls, MT and $61 in Nosara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,223 in Great Falls, MT and $1,844 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Great Falls, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.