Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Idaho Falls, ID and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,331 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Idaho Falls, ID outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

111

Cost of Living Index in Idaho Falls, ID
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Idaho Falls, ID Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Idaho Falls, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,331

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,331 per month in Idaho Falls, ID vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

Idaho Falls, ID $2,331
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $3,363 per month in Idaho Falls, ID vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

Idaho Falls, ID $3,363
Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $4,394 per month in Idaho Falls, ID vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

Idaho Falls, ID $4,394
Nosara $3,790

Idaho Falls, ID costs about 26% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Idaho Falls, ID and Nosara sit above the global median – Idaho Falls, ID by 72%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.32 $18.32

$12.38 ₡5,568

47.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 $52.6

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-13.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 $9.98

$7.81 ₡3,513

27.78%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$4.37 ₡1,966

14.19%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$1.78 ₡800

27.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.35 ₡605

14.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.39 ₡1,526

15.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$4.31 ₡1,939

65.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.55 ₡699

-54.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.17 ₡1,425

20.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.51 ₡1,130

17.93%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$3.53 ₡1,585

14.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 $11.95

$7.37 ₡3,313

62.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$10.46 ₡4,703

-37.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 $9.73

$13.91 ₡6,255

-30.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.26 ₡1,018

-7.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.56 ₡701

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$4.70 ₡2,113

-54.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.62 ₡729

28.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$3.88 ₡1,746

-58.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$3.79 ₡1,704

-36.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.07 ₡481

77.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.61 ₡1,174

-26.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.43 $10.43

$5.16 ₡2,319

102.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$20.33 ₡9,143

-63.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.91 ₡1,310

-38.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.67 ₡1,651

-59.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.31 ₡588

135.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.19 ₡984

12.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.84 ₡829

27.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.10 $25.10

$7.81 ₡3,513

221.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.56 ₡702

-32.05%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

5.45%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-30.66%

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

$171 $171

$95.9 ₡43.1K

78.81%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$35.37 ₡15.9K

50.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 $63.8

$53.7 ₡24.1K

18.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.97 $37.97

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-43.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 $11.60

$7.72 ₡3,473

50.26%

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

$932 $932

$496 ₡222.8K

87.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.1K $27.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

127.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.22 $41.22

$54.6 ₡24.6K

-24.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.12 $46.12

$55.0 ₡24.7K

-16.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 $69.9

$79.8 ₡35.9K

-12.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 $95.7

$77.9 ₡35.0K

22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$817 ₡367.5K

62.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 $1,282

$800 ₡359.7K

60.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 $2,034

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-47.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,147 $2,147

$1,396 ₡627.6K

53.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,891 $1,891

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-72.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,222 ₡549.6K

60.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,550 $3,550

$879 ₡395.3K

303.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

8.62

-29.00%

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

Last update for Idaho Falls, ID: 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

Idaho Falls, ID

$1.3K 55%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 37.6% $481

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Idaho Falls, ID

$288 12.4%

Nosara

$185 10% 35.9% $103

Eating Out

Idaho Falls, ID

$285 12.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 25.3% $72

Groceries & Markets

Idaho Falls, ID

$275 11.8%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 28.4% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Idaho Falls, ID

$114 4.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 5.7% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Idaho Falls, ID

$61 2.6%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 35.6% $22

Getting Around

Idaho Falls, ID

$27 * 1.1%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 239% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,328 in Idaho Falls, ID 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 Idaho Falls, ID are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Idaho Falls, ID versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $353 – making Idaho Falls, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Idaho Falls, ID

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:12 1:12 AM

02:12 2:12 AM

1 h ahead of Idaho Falls, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,459

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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Between locations

Idaho Falls, ID Nosara 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Idaho Falls, ID
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

Idaho Falls, ID vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Idaho Falls, ID is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,497 per month in Idaho Falls, ID 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 $1,328 in Idaho Falls, ID.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,331 in Idaho Falls, ID and $1,844 in Nosara. That makes Nosara about 21% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $932 per month in Idaho Falls, ID and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,331 in Idaho Falls, ID and $1,844 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

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