Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houghton, MI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,736 in Houghton, MI, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Houghton, MI
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Houghton, MI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Houghton, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,736

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,736 in Houghton, MI versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Houghton, MI $2,736
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,593 in Houghton, MI versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Houghton, MI $3,593
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,449 in Houghton, MI versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Houghton, MI $4,449
Nosara $3,814

Living in Houghton, MI is roughly 49% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houghton, MI 102% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.78 $13.78

$12.34 ₡5,535

11.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.55 $39.55

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-35.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 $10.37

$7.76 ₡3,481

33.63%

Cappuccino

$4.13 $4.13

$4.44 ₡1,992

-6.98%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.79 ₡803

55.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.29 ₡580

25.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.24 ₡1,451

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 $7.38

$4.43 ₡1,985

66.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.55 ₡696

-35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.08 ₡1,380

35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.34 $6.34

$2.53 ₡1,133

150.59%

Eggs

$3.94 $3.94

$3.45 ₡1,546

14.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.31 $12.31

$7.32 ₡3,284

68.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.79 $10.79

$10.24 ₡4,594

5.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 $10.97

$14.10 ₡6,326

-22.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.29 ₡1,027

122.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.64 ₡737

-28.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$4.79 ₡2,149

-11.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.64 ₡735

190.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.85 ₡1,727

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.75 ₡1,681

-19.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.09 ₡488

102.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.59 ₡1,160

-43.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 $10.18

$5.12 ₡2,295

98.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$19.92 ₡8,931

-24.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.80 ₡1,255

-30.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.52 ₡1,580

-6.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.22 ₡549

66.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.17 ₡973

39.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.56 ₡698

-4.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.22 $29.22

$8.67 ₡3,886

237.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.55 ₡697

-47.74%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.26%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-34.50%

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

$280 $280

$94.8 ₡42.5K

195.61%

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

$57.6 $57.6

$36.15 ₡16.2K

59.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$53.1 ₡23.8K

30.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.96 $36.96

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-49.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.18 $14.18

$7.91 ₡3,548

79.27%

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

$1,249 $1,249

$490 ₡219.9K

154.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K $22.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

92.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-2.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.58 $41.58

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-25.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$80.4 ₡36.0K

8.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$77.9 ₡34.9K

39.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 $1,833

$801 ₡359.1K

128.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 $1,484

$790 ₡354.1K

88.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,318 $2,318

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-42.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 $1,967

$1,409 ₡632.0K

39.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,546 $1,546

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-78.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,550 $1,550

$1,236 ₡554.3K

25.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,603 $2,603

$887 ₡397.6K

193.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Houghton, MI: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Houghton, MI

$1.5K 54.2%

Nosara

$790 43% 46.8% $695

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houghton, MI

$407 14.9%

Nosara

$184 10% 54.8% $223

Groceries & Markets

Houghton, MI

$377 13.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 7.3% $28

Eating Out

Houghton, MI

$253 9.3%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 15.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Houghton, MI

$131 4.8%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 7.5% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Houghton, MI

$65 2.4%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 37.2% $24

Getting Around

Houghton, MI

$19 * 0.7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 378% $70

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 $1,833 in Houghton, MI and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houghton, MI pays 194% 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: $40.00 in Houghton, MI vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $377 vs $350, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houghton, MI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

12:50 12:50 PM

2 h behind Houghton, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

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 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Houghton, MI Nosara 4,140 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Houghton, MI
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

Houghton, MI vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 194% higher in Houghton, MI, 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: $1,833 in Houghton, MI versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Houghton, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,736 per month in Houghton, MI versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,736 in Houghton, MI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Houghton, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Houghton, MI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Houghton, MI 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Houghton, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.