Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Harlingen, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Harlingen, TX: $1,492 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. The total is higher in Nosara despite lower rent and utilities.

128

Cost of Living Index in Harlingen, TX
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Harlingen, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Harlingen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,492

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,492 in Harlingen, TX versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Harlingen, TX $1,492
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,876 in Harlingen, TX versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Harlingen, TX $1,876
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,259 in Harlingen, TX versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Harlingen, TX $2,259
Nosara $3,818

Living in Harlingen, TX costs roughly 19% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harlingen, TX 11% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.27 $12.27

$12.35 ₡5,539

-0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.71 $46.71

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-23.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 $9.11

$7.52 ₡3,373

21.14%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$4.41 ₡1,978

13.15%

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

$2.00 $2.00

$1.74 ₡780

14.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.31 ₡587

52.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$3.28 ₡1,471

83.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.47 ₡2,004

1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.56 ₡701

-38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$3.52 $3.52

$3.57 ₡1,603

-1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.61 ₡720

-18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.52 ₡682

-32.24%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$199 $199

$96.3 ₡43.2K

106.71%

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

$99.1 $99.1

$35.89 ₡16.1K

176.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.44 $49.44

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-7.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 $836

$788 ₡353.4K

6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 $873

$794 ₡356.2K

9.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 $1,385

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-64.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 $1,015

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-28.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,886 $1,886

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-72.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,869 $1,869

$1,224 ₡549.0K

52.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,030 $4,030

$864 ₡387.3K

366.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Harlingen, TX: 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

Harlingen, TX

$873 58.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 9% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Harlingen, TX

$348 23.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 46.6% $162

Eating Out

Harlingen, TX

$241 16.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 12% $29

Groceries & Markets

Harlingen, TX

$32 * 2.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 1013% $321

Getting Around

Harlingen, TX

- * 0%

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Harlingen, TX

- * 0%

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Harlingen, TX

- * 0%

Nosara

$120 6.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $836 in Harlingen, TX and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harlingen, TX pays 367% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Harlingen, TX vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $32.00 vs $352 per month, with Harlingen, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Harlingen, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

00:46 12:46 AM

1 h behind Harlingen, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,829

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

Harlingen, TX Nosara 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Harlingen, TX
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

Harlingen, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harlingen, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Harlingen, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 367% higher in Harlingen, TX, 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: $836 in Harlingen, TX versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,492 per month in Harlingen, TX versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1013% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,492 in Harlingen, TX versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Harlingen, TX but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Harlingen, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Harlingen, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,492 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Harlingen, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Harlingen, TX 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 Harlingen, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.