Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hampton, VA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,311 in Hampton, VA, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Hampton, VA
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Hampton, VA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Hampton, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,311

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,311 in Hampton, VA versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Hampton, VA $3,311
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,036 in Hampton, VA versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Hampton, VA $5,036
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,762 in Hampton, VA versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Hampton, VA $6,762
Nosara $3,818

Living in Hampton, VA is roughly 80% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hampton, VA 145% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$12.35 ₡5,539

61.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

23.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$7.52 ₡3,373

60.51%

Cappuccino

$4.58 $4.58

$4.41 ₡1,978

3.85%

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

$3.41 $3.41

$1.74 ₡780

95.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.31 ₡587

84.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 $6.59

$3.28 ₡1,471

100.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.02 $9.02

$4.47 ₡2,004

101.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.56 ₡701

-1.28%

White Bread (500g)

$5.23 $5.23

$3.02 ₡1,355

73.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.27 $7.27

$2.51 ₡1,125

189.64%

Eggs

$5.69 $5.69

$3.57 ₡1,603

59.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.43 ₡3,333

9.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.17 $26.17

$10.52 ₡4,717

148.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.14 $20.14

$13.97 ₡6,265

44.17%

Apples (1kg)

$13.36 $13.36

$2.35 ₡1,052

468.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.61 ₡720

58.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.92 $9.92

$4.80 ₡2,152

106.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.97 $9.97

$1.61 ₡724

519.25%

Potato (1kg)

$7.10 $7.10

$3.80 ₡1,703

86.84%

Onion (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$3.69 ₡1,657

84.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.13 ₡507

209.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$5.21 $5.21

$2.66 ₡1,191

95.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.71 $10.71

$5.18 ₡2,321

106.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 $14.29

$19.88 ₡8,916

-28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.90 ₡1,300

-38.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.63 ₡1,626

4.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.12 ₡504

240.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.8 $55.8

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-23.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.14 ₡958

139.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.57 ₡703

20.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.37 $20.37

$8.52 ₡3,823

139.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.52 ₡682

-35.53%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

69.23%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-28.02%

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

$217 $217

$96.3 ₡43.2K

125.70%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$35.89 ₡16.1K

48.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.3 $78.3

$53.6 ₡24.0K

46.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$71.6 ₡32.1K

55.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.18 $35.18

$34.91 ₡15.7K

0.77%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 $17.89

$7.89 ₡3,539

126.74%

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

$1,359 $1,359

$494 ₡221.6K

175.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K $15.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

26.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.00 $47.00

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-12.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.15 $49.15

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-11.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 $136

$77.9 ₡34.9K

74.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$79.6 ₡35.7K

67.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,626 $1,626

$788 ₡353.4K

106.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 $1,576

$794 ₡356.2K

98.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,908 $2,908

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-26.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,912 $2,912

$1,419 ₡636.5K

105.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,315 $2,315

$1,224 ₡549.0K

89.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,665 $3,665

$864 ₡387.3K

324.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

8.62

-29.23%

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

Last update for Hampton, VA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hampton, VA

$1.6K 47.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 49.6% $782

Groceries & Markets

Hampton, VA

$663 20%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 46.9% $311

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hampton, VA

$349 10.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 46.8% $163

Eating Out

Hampton, VA

$325 9.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 34.9% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Hampton, VA

$164 5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 26.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Hampton, VA

$147 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 40.7% $60

Getting Around

Hampton, VA

$86 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 1.8% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,626 in Hampton, VA and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hampton, VA pays 324% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Hampton, VA vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $663 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hampton, VA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

12:57 12:57 PM

2 h behind Hampton, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,436

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

Hampton, VA Nosara 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hampton, VA
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

Hampton, VA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 324% higher in Hampton, VA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,626 in Hampton, VA versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,311 per month in Hampton, VA versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 30% less than in Hampton, VA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,311 in Hampton, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Hampton, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hampton, VA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hampton, VA and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Hampton, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.