Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hattiesburg, MS and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $1,965 in Hattiesburg, MS, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Hattiesburg, MS
🇺🇸 United States
$1,965
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,965 in Hattiesburg, MS versus $1,835 in Nosara.

  • Hattiesburg, MS $1,965
  • Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,880 in Hattiesburg, MS versus $2,825 in Nosara.

  • Hattiesburg, MS $2,880
  • Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,795 in Hattiesburg, MS versus $3,814 in Nosara.

  • Hattiesburg, MS $3,795
  • Nosara $3,814

Living in Hattiesburg, MS is roughly 7% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hattiesburg, MS 45% above, Nosara 35% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hattiesburg, MS
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.83 $15.83
$12.34 ₡5,535
28.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.3 $79.3
$61.3 ₡27.5K
29.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.46 $10.46
$7.76 ₡3,481
34.79%
Cappuccino
$5.57 $5.57
$4.44 ₡1,992
25.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$1.79 ₡803
40.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 $2.11
$1.29 ₡580
63.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.10 $5.10
$3.24 ₡1,451
57.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.07 $6.07
$4.43 ₡1,985
37.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hattiesburg, MS
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.55 ₡696
-20.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.96 $3.96
$3.08 ₡1,380
28.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.25 $6.25
$2.53 ₡1,133
147.04%
Eggs
$5.29 $5.29
$3.45 ₡1,546
53.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.36 $15.36
$7.32 ₡3,284
109.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.09 $10.09
$10.24 ₡4,594
-1.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.79 $15.79
$14.10 ₡6,326
11.99%
Apples (1kg)
$5.27 $5.27
$2.29 ₡1,027
130.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 $1.63
$1.64 ₡737
-0.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.25 $5.25
$4.79 ₡2,149
9.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$1.64 ₡735
236.59%
Potato (1kg)
$4.26 $4.26
$3.85 ₡1,727
10.65%
Onion (1kg)
$3.17 $3.17
$3.75 ₡1,681
-15.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.09 ₡488
98.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.65 $2.65
$2.59 ₡1,160
2.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.89 $8.89
$5.12 ₡2,295
73.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.88 $15.88
$19.92 ₡8,931
-20.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.80 ₡1,255
-9.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.95 $3.95
$3.52 ₡1,580
12.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Hattiesburg, MS
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.22 ₡549
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.43 $3.43
$2.17 ₡973
58.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.56 ₡698
-5.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.16 $35.16
$8.67 ₡3,886
305.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 $0.82
$1.55 ₡697
-47.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K $33.8K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-2.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-31.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hattiesburg, MS
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$145 $145
$94.8 ₡42.5K
52.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$72.3 $72.3
$36.15 ₡16.2K
100.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.1 $73.1
$53.1 ₡23.8K
37.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hattiesburg, MS
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.15 $10.15
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-71.51%
Cinema Ticket
$12.43 $12.43
$7.91 ₡3,548
57.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hattiesburg, MS
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,570 $1,570
$490 ₡219.9K
220.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.2K $10.2K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-13.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hattiesburg, MS
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.1 $58.1
$54.8 ₡24.6K
6.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.90 $43.90
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-21.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.9 $86.9
$80.4 ₡36.0K
8.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 $122
$77.9 ₡34.9K
56.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hattiesburg, MS
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,049 $1,049
$801 ₡359.1K
30.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$780 $780
$790 ₡354.1K
-1.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,586 $1,586
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-60.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,083 $1,083
$1,409 ₡632.0K
-23.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,590 $1,590
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-77.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,617 $1,617
$1,236 ₡554.3K
30.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hattiesburg, MS
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,976 $2,976
$887 ₡397.6K
235.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.66
8.62
-22.74%

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

Last update for Hattiesburg, MS: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hattiesburg, MS
$780
Nosara
$790 1.2% $9.4
Groceries & Markets
Hattiesburg, MS
$439
Nosara
$350 20.3% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hattiesburg, MS
$290
Nosara
$184 36.6% $106
Eating Out
Hattiesburg, MS
$281
Nosara
$213 24.3% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Hattiesburg, MS
$140
Nosara
$121 13.5% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Hattiesburg, MS
$25 *
Nosara
$90 261% $65
Getting Around
Hattiesburg, MS
$11 *
Nosara
$89 722% $78

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 $1,049 in Hattiesburg, MS and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hattiesburg, MS pays 236% 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: $79.0 in Hattiesburg, MS vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Hattiesburg, MS
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
08:20 8:20 AM
07:20 7:20 AM
1 h behind Hattiesburg, MS
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
45,989
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hattiesburg, MS Nosara 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hattiesburg, MS
  • 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
Hattiesburg, MS vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Hattiesburg, MS?
Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Hattiesburg, MS or Nosara?
Average pay runs 236% higher in Hattiesburg, MS, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Hattiesburg, MS and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,049 in Hattiesburg, MS versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Hattiesburg, MS and in Nosara?
Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Hattiesburg, MS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Hattiesburg, MS and in Nosara?
All in, you'll spend $1,965 per month in Hattiesburg, MS versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Hattiesburg, MS or in Nosara?
At $1,835 in Nosara versus $1,965 in Hattiesburg, MS, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Hattiesburg, MS. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Hattiesburg, MS or Nosara more family-friendly?
For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hattiesburg, MS, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Hattiesburg, MS or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Hattiesburg, MS 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Hattiesburg, MS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Hattiesburg, MS vs other spots: cost of living compared

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