Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Howell Township, NJ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,640 in Howell Township, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Howell Township, NJ
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Howell Township, NJ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Howell Township, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,640

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,640 in Howell Township, NJ versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Howell Township, NJ $2,640
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,838 in Howell Township, NJ versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Howell Township, NJ $3,838
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,036 in Howell Township, NJ versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Howell Township, NJ $5,036
Nosara $3,814

Living in Howell Township, NJ is roughly 44% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Howell Township, NJ 95% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.86 $19.86

$12.34 ₡5,535

60.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$61.3 ₡27.5K

23.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 $11.72

$7.76 ₡3,481

51.03%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$4.44 ₡1,992

18.24%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.79 ₡803

52.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.29 ₡580

59.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.24 ₡1,451

80.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.27 $7.27

$4.43 ₡1,985

64.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.55 ₡696

-5.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.08 ₡1,380

21.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.53 ₡1,133

71.15%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$3.45 ₡1,546

22.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 $11.98

$7.32 ₡3,284

63.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.08 $12.08

$10.24 ₡4,594

17.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 $17.34

$14.10 ₡6,326

22.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.29 ₡1,027

86.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.64 ₡737

-18.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.79 ₡2,149

-8.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.64 ₡735

144.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.85 ₡1,727

-22.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.75 ₡1,681

-12.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.09 ₡488

103.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.59 ₡1,160

-15.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.85 $9.85

$5.12 ₡2,295

92.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 $14.36

$19.92 ₡8,931

-27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.80 ₡1,255

-27.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.52 ₡1,580

-5.40%

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)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.17 ₡973

31.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.56 ₡698

19.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.28 $26.28

$8.67 ₡3,886

203.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.55 ₡697

-28.39%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-16.65%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-24.55%

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

$197 $197

$94.8 ₡42.5K

107.69%

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

$57.2 $57.2

$36.15 ₡16.2K

58.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$126 $126

$53.1 ₡23.8K

137.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.49 $41.49

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-43.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.98 $13.98

$7.91 ₡3,548

76.74%

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

$1,443 $1,443

$490 ₡219.9K

194.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K $21.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

83.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 $57.2

$54.8 ₡24.6K

4.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.79 $46.79

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-16.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 $88.4

$80.4 ₡36.0K

9.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$77.9 ₡34.9K

44.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 $1,574

$801 ₡359.1K

96.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 $1,314

$790 ₡354.1K

66.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,472 $2,472

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-38.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 $2,171

$1,409 ₡632.0K

54.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,422 $2,422

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-65.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 $2,368

$1,236 ₡554.3K

91.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,983 $2,983

$887 ₡397.6K

236.42%

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 Howell Township, NJ: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Howell Township, NJ

$1.3K 49.8%

Nosara

$790 43% 39.9% $525

Groceries & Markets

Howell Township, NJ

$398 15.1%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 12.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Howell Township, NJ

$380 14.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 51.6% $196

Eating Out

Howell Township, NJ

$320 12.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 33.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Howell Township, NJ

$137 5.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 11.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Howell Township, NJ

$69 2.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 29% $20

Getting Around

Howell Township, NJ

$20 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 337% $68

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 $1,574 in Howell Township, NJ and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Howell Township, NJ pays 236% 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: $76.0 in Howell Township, NJ vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Howell Township, NJ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:26 11:26 AM

09:26 9:26 AM

2 h behind Howell Township, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,000

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Howell Township, NJ Nosara 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Howell Township, NJ
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

Howell Township, NJ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 236% higher in Howell Township, NJ, 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: $1,574 in Howell Township, NJ versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Howell Township, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,640 per month in Howell Township, NJ versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,640 in Howell Township, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Howell Township, NJ. 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 Howell Township, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Howell Township, NJ 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 44% less than in Howell Township, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.