Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ithaca, NY and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
Learn more

Ithaca, NY Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,941

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,941 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $2,941
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,792 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $3,792
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,642 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $4,642
Nosara $3,818

Ithaca, NY costs about 60% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ithaca, NY and Nosara sit above the global median – Ithaca, NY by 118%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 $22.16

$12.35 ₡5,539

79.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

32.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 $11.22

$7.52 ₡3,373

49.20%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$4.41 ₡1,978

14.29%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.74 ₡780

54.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.31 ₡587

54.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.28 ₡1,471

48.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 $9.29

$4.47 ₡2,004

107.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.56 ₡701

-35.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.02 ₡1,355

10.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$2.51 ₡1,125

186.85%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$3.57 ₡1,603

14.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$7.43 ₡3,333

94.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$10.52 ₡4,717

-35.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$13.97 ₡6,265

9.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.35 ₡1,052

101.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.61 ₡720

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.80 ₡2,152

13.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.61 ₡724

191.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.80 ₡1,703

-13.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.69 ₡1,657

-2.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.13 ₡507

105.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.66 ₡1,191

-22.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$5.18 ₡2,321

75.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.03 $14.03

$19.88 ₡8,916

-29.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.90 ₡1,300

-36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.63 ₡1,626

6.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.12 ₡504

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.65 $45.65

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-37.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 $5.01

$2.14 ₡958

134.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.57 ₡703

-9.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.94 $29.94

$8.52 ₡3,823

251.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.52 ₡682

-30.26%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

68.29%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.49%

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

$164 $164

$96.3 ₡43.2K

70.57%

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

$47.70 $47.70

$35.89 ₡16.1K

32.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 $51.0

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-4.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 $35.26

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-50.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.84 $10.84

$7.89 ₡3,539

37.39%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$494 ₡221.6K

196.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

42.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.46 $46.46

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-13.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.18 $40.18

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-27.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 $78.8

$77.9 ₡34.9K

1.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$79.6 ₡35.7K

33.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$788 ₡353.4K

176.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 $1,714

$794 ₡356.2K

115.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 $2,728

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-30.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 $1,844

$1,419 ₡636.5K

29.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,196 $2,196

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-68.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$1,224 ₡549.0K

75.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,464 $3,464

$864 ₡387.3K

301.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

8.62

-25.06%

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

Last update for Ithaca, NY: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ithaca, NY

$1.7K 58.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 53.7% $920

Groceries & Markets

Ithaca, NY

$387 13.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 8.9% $34

Eating Out

Ithaca, NY

$333 11.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 36.4% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ithaca, NY

$263 8.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 29.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Ithaca, NY

$122 4.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 1.8% $2.2

Getting Around

Ithaca, NY

$66 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 32.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Ithaca, NY

$57 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 53.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,183 in Ithaca, NY versus $788 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 run about 301% higher in Ithaca, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Ithaca, NY versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

22:08 10:08 PM

2 h behind Ithaca, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,283

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ithaca, NY Nosara 3,720 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ithaca, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,412 per month in Ithaca, NY and $2,758 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Ithaca, NY and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,941 in Ithaca, NY and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 60%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Ithaca, NY at $2,941. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ithaca, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,941 in Ithaca, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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