Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islip, NY and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Islip, NY: $1,268 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Islip, NY
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Islip, NY Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Islip, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,268

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,268 in Islip, NY versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Islip, NY $1,268
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,210 in Islip, NY versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Islip, NY $2,210
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,153 in Islip, NY versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Islip, NY $3,153
Nosara $3,818

Living in Islip, NY costs roughly 31% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Islip, NY is 6% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.16 $26.16

$12.35 ₡5,539

111.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$61.2 ₡27.4K

94.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.20 $14.20

$7.52 ₡3,373

88.83%

Cappuccino

$5.27 $5.27

$4.41 ₡1,978

19.50%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.74 ₡780

68.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.31 ₡587

79.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 $8.32

$3.28 ₡1,471

153.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.13 $10.13

$4.47 ₡2,004

126.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.56 ₡701

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.02 ₡1,355

48.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.51 ₡1,125

70.92%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$3.57 ₡1,603

42.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 $18.96

$7.43 ₡3,333

155.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.69 $17.69

$10.52 ₡4,717

68.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.64 $16.64

$13.97 ₡6,265

19.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.35 ₡1,052

81.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.61 ₡720

-17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$4.80 ₡2,152

-53.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.61 ₡724

79.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$3.80 ₡1,703

-55.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.69 ₡1,657

-39.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.13 ₡507

38.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.66 ₡1,191

-57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.19 $15.19

$5.18 ₡2,321

193.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 $12.76

$19.88 ₡8,916

-35.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.90 ₡1,300

-17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.63 ₡1,626

7.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.12 ₡504

303.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.14 ₡958

43.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.57 ₡703

40.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.03 $42.03

$8.52 ₡3,823

393.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.52 ₡682

-26.32%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

62.98%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.52%

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

$79.8 $79.8

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-17.16%

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

$70.5 $70.5

$35.89 ₡16.1K

96.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

31.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 $59.4

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-16.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 $16.13

$7.89 ₡3,539

104.44%

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

$3,352 $3,352

$494 ₡221.6K

578.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$59.7K $59.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

403.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 $45.57

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-15.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.03 $27.03

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-51.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 $76.0

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-2.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 $88.9

$79.6 ₡35.7K

11.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 $2,025

$788 ₡353.4K

156.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,391 $3,391

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-13.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,012 $4,012

$864 ₡387.3K

364.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

8.62

-23.09%

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

Last update for Islip, NY: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Islip, NY

$418 33%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 15.8% $66

Eating Out

Islip, NY

$398 31.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 46.8% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islip, NY

$221 17.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 15.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Islip, NY

$107 8.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 12.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Islip, NY

$92 7.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 4.7% $4.3

Getting Around

Islip, NY

$32 * 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 171% $55

Accommodation & Living

Islip, NY

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

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 $2,025 in Islip, NY and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Islip, NY pays 365% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $119 in Islip, NY vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Islip, NY

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:39 8:39 PM

18:39 6:39 PM

2 h behind Islip, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

339,938

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Islip, NY Nosara 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Islip, NY
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

Islip, NY vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islip, NY is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 365% higher in Islip, NY, 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: $2,025 in Islip, NY versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,352 in Islip, NY versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Islip, NY – a meal for two runs $119 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,268 in Islip, NY versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Islip, NY but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Islip, NY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Islip, NY 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 Islip, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.