Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Greenville, SC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,577 in Greenville, SC, 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 Greenville, SC
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Greenville, SC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Greenville, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,577

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,577 per month in Greenville, SC vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Greenville, SC $2,577
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,902 per month in Greenville, SC vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Greenville, SC $3,902
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,226 per month in Greenville, SC vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Greenville, SC $5,226
Nosara $3,712

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

Both Greenville, SC and Nosara sit above the global median – Greenville, SC by 92%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$12.22 ₡5,509

49.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 $95.7

$60.2 ₡27.1K

58.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 $11.02

$7.54 ₡3,399

46.15%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$4.31 ₡1,941

22.97%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$1.72 ₡773

72.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.35 ₡608

54.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$3.24 ₡1,459

89.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 $7.57

$4.48 ₡2,018

68.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.57 ₡707

-38.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.17 ₡1,429

16.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.42 ₡1,091

92.15%

Eggs

$3.87 $3.87

$3.57 ₡1,609

8.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.90 $14.90

$7.43 ₡3,349

100.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 $12.91

$10.42 ₡4,697

23.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 $19.64

$13.66 ₡6,156

43.78%

Apples (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$2.32 ₡1,044

187.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.61 ₡728

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.64 $7.64

$4.74 ₡2,138

61.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$1.66 ₡747

247.59%

Potato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.72 ₡1,679

28.23%

Onion (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.57 ₡1,611

17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.10 ₡497

140.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.55 ₡1,149

-22.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.54 $8.54

$4.95 ₡2,232

72.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$20.01 ₡9,020

-25.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.79 ₡1,256

-41.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$3.53 ₡1,589

-51.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.19 ₡537

316.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.39 $49.39

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-31.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.24 ₡1,011

59.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.55 ₡701

-3.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.93 $17.93

$8.86 ₡3,993

102.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.57 ₡708

-40.13%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

60.88%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-27.87%

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

$145 $145

$93.5 ₡42.1K

55.39%

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

$70.2 $70.2

$35.11 ₡15.8K

99.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 $59.8

$51.5 ₡23.2K

16.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 $64.9

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-9.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.35 $14.35

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-59.51%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$7.84 ₡3,535

93.62%

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

$1,691 $1,691

$490 ₡220.7K

245.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,848 $9,848

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-17.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 $52.4

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-2.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.03 $36.03

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-35.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$79.3 ₡35.7K

11.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$78.9 ₡35.6K

69.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 $1,708

$786 ₡354.3K

117.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 $1,255

$780 ₡351.6K

60.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 $2,589

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-32.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,135 $2,135

$1,407 ₡634.4K

51.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,043 $2,043

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-70.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,013 $2,013

$1,201 ₡541.3K

67.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,419 $4,419

$876 ₡395.0K

404.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

8.62

-22.04%

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

Last update for Greenville, SC: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Greenville, SC

$1.3K 48.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 37.9% $475

Groceries & Markets

Greenville, SC

$449 17.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 22.1% $99

Eating Out

Greenville, SC

$309 11.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 32.2% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Greenville, SC

$275 10.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 34.6% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Greenville, SC

$140 5.4%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 13.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Greenville, SC

$95 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 8.5% $8.1

Getting Around

Greenville, SC

$80 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 8.2% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,708 in Greenville, SC 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 404% higher in Greenville, SC, 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 $96.0 in Greenville, SC versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Greenville, SC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:37 6:37 AM

04:37 4:37 AM

2 h behind Greenville, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,720

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 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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Between locations

Greenville, SC Nosara 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Greenville, SC
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

Greenville, SC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Greenville, SC 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 Greenville, SC 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.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,691 per month in Greenville, SC and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Greenville, SC at $2,577. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Greenville, SC 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, Greenville, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.