Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jackson, TN and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,181 in Jackson, TN, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Jackson, TN
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Jackson, TN Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Jackson, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,181

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,181 per month in Jackson, TN vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Jackson, TN $2,181
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,079 per month in Jackson, TN vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Jackson, TN $3,079
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,978 per month in Jackson, TN vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Jackson, TN $3,978
Nosara $3,712

Jackson, TN costs about 19% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Jackson, TN and Nosara sit above the global median – Jackson, TN by 63%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 $17.24

$12.22 ₡5,509

41.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.79 $49.79

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-17.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 $10.64

$7.54 ₡3,399

41.11%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$4.31 ₡1,941

15.08%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$1.72 ₡773

37.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.35 ₡608

36.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.24 ₡1,459

22.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 $5.03

$4.48 ₡2,018

12.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.57 ₡707

-45.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.17 ₡1,429

-5.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.42 ₡1,091

12.81%

Eggs

$4.16 $4.16

$3.57 ₡1,609

16.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$7.43 ₡3,349

31.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 $9.56

$10.42 ₡4,697

-8.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 $14.02

$13.66 ₡6,156

2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.32 ₡1,044

68.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.61 ₡728

-14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.74 ₡2,138

-41.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.66 ₡747

80.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$3.72 ₡1,679

-50.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.57 ₡1,611

-35.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.10 ₡497

76.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.55 ₡1,149

-24.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.69 $8.69

$4.95 ₡2,232

75.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.15 $13.15

$20.01 ₡9,020

-34.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.79 ₡1,256

-38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.53 ₡1,589

-41.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.19 ₡537

2.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.36 $35.36

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-50.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.24 ₡1,011

-11.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.55 ₡701

-21.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 $19.70

$8.86 ₡3,993

122.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.57 ₡708

-47.13%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

57.98%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-26.91%

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

$169 $169

$93.5 ₡42.1K

80.48%

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

$66.5 $66.5

$35.11 ₡15.8K

89.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 $72.7

$51.5 ₡23.2K

41.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 $50.4

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-29.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.9 $50.9

$35.44 ₡16.0K

43.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 $10.87

$7.84 ₡3,535

38.65%

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

$1,136 $1,136

$490 ₡220.7K

132.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,428 $8,428

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-29.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 $51.9

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-3.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.61 $36.61

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-34.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 $64.7

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-18.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$78.9 ₡35.6K

27.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 $1,212

$786 ₡354.3K

54.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 $1,032

$780 ₡351.6K

32.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 $1,662

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-56.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$1,407 ₡634.4K

14.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,706 $1,706

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-75.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,704 $1,704

$1,201 ₡541.3K

41.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 $4,135

$876 ₡395.0K

371.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

8.62

-24.25%

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

Last update for Jackson, TN: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jackson, TN

$1K 47.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 24.4% $252

Groceries & Markets

Jackson, TN

$319 14.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 9.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jackson, TN

$308 14.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 41.5% $128

Eating Out

Jackson, TN

$276 12.7%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 24.1% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Jackson, TN

$114 5.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 5.3% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Jackson, TN

$72 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 20.7% $15

Getting Around

Jackson, TN

$48 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 79.7% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,212 in Jackson, TN versus $786 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 372% higher in Jackson, TN, 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 $50.0 in Jackson, TN versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 vs $350 – making Jackson, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jackson, TN

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

00:25 12:25 AM

1 h behind Jackson, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,701

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 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

Jackson, TN Nosara 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Jackson, TN
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

Jackson, TN vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,181 in Jackson, TN, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,271 per month in Jackson, TN and $2,756 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Jackson, TN – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Jackson, TN and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Jackson, TN at $2,181. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jackson, TN 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $2,181 in Jackson, TN. 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, Jackson, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.