Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helena, MT and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $3,132 in Helena, MT, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Helena, MT
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Helena, MT Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Helena, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,132

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,132 in Helena, MT versus $1,844 in Nosara.

Helena, MT $3,132
Nosara $1,844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,595 in Helena, MT versus $2,817 in Nosara.

Helena, MT $4,595
Nosara $2,817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,059 in Helena, MT versus $3,790 in Nosara.

Helena, MT $6,059
Nosara $3,790

Living in Helena, MT is roughly 70% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helena, MT 132% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 $21.21

$12.38 ₡5,568

71.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$60.6 ₡27.2K

82.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.06 $18.06

$7.81 ₡3,513

131.24%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$4.37 ₡1,966

14.65%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$1.78 ₡800

23.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.35 ₡605

27.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.39 ₡1,526

50.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.31 ₡1,939

64.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.55 ₡699

-33.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.17 ₡1,425

22.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.51 ₡1,130

81.27%

Eggs

$3.77 $3.77

$3.53 ₡1,585

6.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.72 $17.72

$7.37 ₡3,313

140.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 $8.89

$10.46 ₡4,703

-15.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.91 $19.91

$13.91 ₡6,255

43.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.26 ₡1,018

107.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.56 ₡701

17.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$4.70 ₡2,113

-5.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$1.62 ₡729

155.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.88 ₡1,746

-45.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.79 ₡1,704

-61.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.07 ₡481

54.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.61 ₡1,174

-37.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.28 $10.28

$5.16 ₡2,319

99.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.79 $12.79

$20.33 ₡9,143

-37.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.91 ₡1,310

-38.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.67 ₡1,651

-29.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.31 ₡588

163.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$73.2 ₡32.9K

-16.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.90 $9.90

$2.19 ₡984

352.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.84 ₡829

89.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.50 $45.50

$7.81 ₡3,513

482.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.56 ₡702

-36.54%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

5.74%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-20.97%

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

$376 $376

$95.9 ₡43.1K

291.82%

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

$67.1 $67.1

$35.37 ₡15.9K

89.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.1 $84.1

$53.7 ₡24.1K

56.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 $53.1

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-21.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.23 $15.23

$35.43 ₡15.9K

-57.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 $11.98

$7.72 ₡3,473

55.18%

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

$1,902 $1,902

$496 ₡222.8K

283.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K $27.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

134.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 $64.3

$54.6 ₡24.6K

17.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$117 $117

$55.0 ₡24.7K

112.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 $80.6

$79.8 ₡35.9K

0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$77.9 ₡35.0K

56.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 $1,756

$817 ₡367.5K

114.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 $1,527

$800 ₡359.7K

90.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,889 $2,889

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-25.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,568 $2,568

$1,396 ₡627.6K

83.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,430 $3,430

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-50.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,028 $3,028

$1,222 ₡549.6K

147.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,496 $6,496

$879 ₡395.3K

638.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

8.62

-26.33%

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

Last update for Helena, MT: October 31, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helena, MT

$1.5K 48.8%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 47.6% $727

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helena, MT

$527 16.8%

Nosara

$185 10% 64.9% $342

Groceries & Markets

Helena, MT

$388 12.4%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 9.1% $35

Eating Out

Helena, MT

$339 10.8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 37.2% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Helena, MT

$173 5.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 30.3% $52

Getting Around

Helena, MT

$102 3.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 11.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Helena, MT

$77 2.5%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 7.6% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,756 in Helena, MT and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helena, MT pays about 7.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $111 in Helena, MT vs $61 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $353 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Helena, MT

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

23:12 11:12 PM

1 h ahead of Helena, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,091

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 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 = 0.891 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

Helena, MT Nosara 4,770 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Helena, 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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,132 in Helena, MT and $1,844 in Nosara, so Nosara is about 41% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Helena, MT is about 7.4 times higher, 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: $1,756 in Helena, MT versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,902 in Helena, MT versus $496 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Helena, MT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,844 in Nosara versus $3,132 in Helena, MT, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Helena, MT. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Helena, MT and Nosara are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Nosara wins on affordability, Helena, MT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.