Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Highlands Ranch, CO and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $3,464 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Highlands Ranch, CO
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Highlands Ranch, CO Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Highlands Ranch, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,464

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,464 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $3,464
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $4,105 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $4,105
Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $4,746 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $4,746
Nosara $3,790

Highlands Ranch, CO costs about 88% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Highlands Ranch, CO and Nosara sit above the global median – Highlands Ranch, CO by 156%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 $15.27

$12.38 ₡5,568

23.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 $80.9

$60.6 ₡27.2K

33.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 $9.80

$7.81 ₡3,513

25.48%

Cappuccino

$6.20 $6.20

$4.37 ₡1,966

41.88%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$1.78 ₡800

43.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.35 ₡605

54.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.39 ₡1,526

43.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 $5.82

$4.31 ₡1,939

35.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.55 ₡699

-36.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.17 ₡1,425

-6.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.51 ₡1,130

9.16%

Eggs

$4.33 $4.33

$3.53 ₡1,585

22.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 $10.89

$7.37 ₡3,313

47.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 $9.14

$10.46 ₡4,703

-12.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 $19.48

$13.91 ₡6,255

40.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.26 ₡1,018

119.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.56 ₡701

1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$4.70 ₡2,113

3.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$1.62 ₡729

219.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.88 ₡1,746

-10.82%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.79 ₡1,704

22.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.07 ₡481

116.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.61 ₡1,174

-34.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 $10.24

$5.16 ₡2,319

98.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.25 $16.25

$20.33 ₡9,143

-20.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.91 ₡1,310

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.67 ₡1,651

-25.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.31 ₡588

53.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 $52.5

$73.2 ₡32.9K

-28.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.19 ₡984

15.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.84 ₡829

-1.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.64 $24.64

$7.81 ₡3,513

215.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.56 ₡702

-28.21%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-15.46%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-30.94%

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

$211 $211

$95.9 ₡43.1K

119.89%

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

$55.8 $55.8

$35.37 ₡15.9K

57.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$53.7 ₡24.1K

30.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.53 $45.53

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-32.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 $12.24

$7.72 ₡3,473

58.55%

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

$1,334 $1,334

$496 ₡222.8K

169.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K $11.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-2.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 $60.3

$54.6 ₡24.6K

10.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.2 $69.2

$55.0 ₡24.7K

25.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 $80.2

$79.8 ₡35.9K

0.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$77.9 ₡35.0K

50.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 $1,574

$817 ₡367.5K

92.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,173 $2,173

$800 ₡359.7K

171.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,791 $2,791

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-28.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 $1,882

$1,396 ₡627.6K

34.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,806 $2,806

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-59.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,287 $2,287

$1,222 ₡549.6K

87.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,126 $7,126

$879 ₡395.3K

710.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

8.62

-22.27%

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

Last update for Highlands Ranch, CO: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Highlands Ranch, CO

$2.2K 62.7%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 63.2% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Highlands Ranch, CO

$385 11.1%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 8.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Highlands Ranch, CO

$337 9.7%

Nosara

$185 10% 45.1% $152

Eating Out

Highlands Ranch, CO

$281 8.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 24.1% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Highlands Ranch, CO

$147 4.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 18.2% $27

Getting Around

Highlands Ranch, CO

$72 2.1%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 24.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Highlands Ranch, CO

$70 2%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 18.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,574 in Highlands Ranch, CO versus $817 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 in Highlands Ranch, CO are about 8.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Highlands Ranch, CO versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $353 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Highlands Ranch, CO

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:32 2:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

1 h ahead of Highlands Ranch, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 = 0.89 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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Highlands Ranch, CO Nosara 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Highlands Ranch, CO
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

Highlands Ranch, CO vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,464 in Highlands Ranch, CO, $1,844 in Nosara – Nosara comes out roughly 47% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,196 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO and $2,765 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,574 in Highlands Ranch, CO.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Highlands Ranch, CO, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Highlands Ranch, CO and $61 in Nosara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,844, than in Highlands Ranch, CO at $3,464. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highlands Ranch, CO 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Highlands Ranch, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.