Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hillsboro, OR and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,859 in Hillsboro, OR, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Hillsboro, OR
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Hillsboro, OR Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Hillsboro, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,859

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,859 per month in Hillsboro, OR vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Hillsboro, OR $2,859
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,884 per month in Hillsboro, OR vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Hillsboro, OR $3,884
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,908 per month in Hillsboro, OR vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Hillsboro, OR $4,908
Nosara $3,818

Hillsboro, OR costs about 56% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hillsboro, OR and Nosara sit above the global median – Hillsboro, OR by 112%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.13 $22.13

$12.35 ₡5,539

79.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-3.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 $7.79

$7.52 ₡3,373

3.59%

Cappuccino

$4.64 $4.64

$4.41 ₡1,978

5.22%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$1.74 ₡780

55.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.31 ₡587

62.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.28 ₡1,471

54.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 $5.95

$4.47 ₡2,004

33.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.56 ₡701

-32.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.02 ₡1,355

23.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.51 ₡1,125

112.75%

Eggs

$3.67 $3.67

$3.57 ₡1,603

2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$7.43 ₡3,333

35.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.91 $13.91

$10.52 ₡4,717

32.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.94 $19.94

$13.97 ₡6,265

42.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.35 ₡1,052

57.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.61 ₡720

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.80 ₡2,152

-18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.61 ₡724

106.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.80 ₡1,703

-45.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.69 ₡1,657

-40.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.13 ₡507

71.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.66 ₡1,191

-27.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$5.18 ₡2,321

96.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.62 $13.62

$19.88 ₡8,916

-31.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.90 ₡1,300

-39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.63 ₡1,626

-3.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.12 ₡504

153.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.5 $99.5

$72.6 ₡32.6K

37.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.14 ₡958

129.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.57 ₡703

-14.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.85 $29.85

$8.52 ₡3,823

250.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.52 ₡682

-21.05%

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

$18.4K $18.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-14.87%

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

$22.3K $22.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-35.30%

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

$149 $149

$96.3 ₡43.2K

54.88%

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

$40.21 $40.21

$35.89 ₡16.1K

12.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.37 $47.37

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-11.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 $52.5

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-26.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.88 $11.88

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-65.97%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 $13.74

$7.89 ₡3,539

74.14%

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

$1,225 $1,225

$494 ₡221.6K

147.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K $12.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

1.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.14 $37.14

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-31.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 $38.11

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-31.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 $95.0

$77.9 ₡34.9K

21.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 $85.1

$79.6 ₡35.7K

6.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 $1,921

$788 ₡353.4K

143.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$794 ₡356.2K

101.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,835 $2,835

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-28.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,124 $2,124

$1,419 ₡636.5K

49.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,299 $3,299

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-52.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,407 $3,407

$1,224 ₡549.0K

178.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,745 $4,745

$864 ₡387.3K

449.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.22

8.62

-27.84%

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

Last update for Hillsboro, OR: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hillsboro, OR

$1.6K 56.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 50.5% $809

Groceries & Markets

Hillsboro, OR

$389 13.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 9.4% $37

Eating Out

Hillsboro, OR

$313 10.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 32.2% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hillsboro, OR

$237 8.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 21.5% $51

Getting Around

Hillsboro, OR

$123 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 28.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Hillsboro, OR

$115 4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 4.5% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Hillsboro, OR

$80 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 9.2% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,921 in Hillsboro, OR versus $788 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 run about 449% higher in Hillsboro, OR, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Hillsboro, OR versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $389 in Hillsboro, OR vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hillsboro, OR

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:28 11:28 PM

00:28 12:28 AM

1 h ahead of Hillsboro, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,447

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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Highest

Between locations

Hillsboro, OR Nosara 5,310 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Hillsboro, OR
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

Hillsboro, OR vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hillsboro, OR costs about 56% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,289 per month in Hillsboro, OR and $2,758 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,859 in Hillsboro, OR and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 56%.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Hillsboro, OR at $2,859. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hillsboro, OR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,859 in Hillsboro, OR. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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