Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, MO and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,698 in Houston, MO, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Houston, MO
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Houston, MO Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Houston, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Houston, MO versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Houston, MO $2,698
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,946 in Houston, MO versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Houston, MO $3,946
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,195 in Houston, MO versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Houston, MO $5,195
Nosara $3,814

Living in Houston, MO is roughly 47% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houston, MO 99% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.96 $17.96

$12.34 ₡5,535

45.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 $78.0

$61.3 ₡27.5K

27.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 $11.87

$7.76 ₡3,481

52.96%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$4.44 ₡1,992

17.12%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$1.79 ₡803

31.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.29 ₡580

31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 $5.59

$3.24 ₡1,451

72.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$4.43 ₡1,985

62.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.55 ₡696

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.08 ₡1,380

21.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$2.53 ₡1,133

122.13%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$3.45 ₡1,546

17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 $13.42

$7.32 ₡3,284

83.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.45 $15.45

$10.24 ₡4,594

50.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.46 $20.46

$14.10 ₡6,326

45.11%

Apples (1kg)

$8.25 $8.25

$2.29 ₡1,027

260.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.64 ₡737

46.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.69 $5.69

$4.79 ₡2,149

18.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$1.64 ₡735

226.22%

Potato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.85 ₡1,727

8.83%

Onion (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.75 ₡1,681

32.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.09 ₡488

154.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.59 ₡1,160

10.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.25 $8.25

$5.12 ₡2,295

61.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$19.92 ₡8,931

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.80 ₡1,255

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.52 ₡1,580

-6.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.22 ₡549

55.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.17 ₡973

63.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.56 ₡698

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.60 $40.60

$8.67 ₡3,886

368.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.55 ₡697

-40.00%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.18%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-33.80%

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

$239 $239

$94.8 ₡42.5K

152.32%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$36.15 ₡16.2K

93.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.3 $76.3

$53.1 ₡23.8K

43.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.69 $44.69

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-39.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 $13.96

$7.91 ₡3,548

76.49%

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

$1,406 $1,406

$490 ₡219.9K

186.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

97.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 $58.8

$54.8 ₡24.6K

7.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.65 $40.65

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-27.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 $89.9

$80.4 ₡36.0K

11.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$77.9 ₡34.9K

53.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 $1,361

$801 ₡359.1K

69.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 $1,290

$790 ₡354.1K

63.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,511 $2,511

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-37.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 $2,115

$1,409 ₡632.0K

50.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,461 $2,461

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-65.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,601 $2,601

$1,236 ₡554.3K

110.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

8.62

-22.04%

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

Last update for Houston, MO: 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

Houston, MO

$1.3K 47.8%

Nosara

$790 43% 38.8% $501

Groceries & Markets

Houston, MO

$491 18.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 28.8% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houston, MO

$386 14.3%

Nosara

$184 10% 52.3% $201

Eating Out

Houston, MO

$300 11.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 29.2% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Houston, MO

$139 5.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 12.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Houston, MO

$73 2.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 23.4% $17

Getting Around

Houston, MO

$19 * 0.7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 368% $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 $1,361 in Houston, MO and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Houston, MO vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $491 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houston, MO

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

04:46 4:46 AM

1 h behind Houston, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,304,580

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

Houston, MO Nosara 3,110 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Houston, MO
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

Houston, MO vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,047 in Houston, MO and $2,753 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,361 in Houston, MO versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,406 in Houston, MO versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $78.0 in Houston, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,698 in Houston, MO, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Houston, MO. 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 Houston, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Houston, MO 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 47% less than in Houston, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.