Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jamestown, ND and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,846 a month against $2,578 in Jamestown, ND, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Jamestown, ND, United States
Nosara, Costa Rica
Jamestown, ND
🇺🇸 United States
$2,578
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,578 in Jamestown, ND versus $1,846 in Nosara.

  • Jamestown, ND $2,578
  • Nosara $1,846

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,748 in Jamestown, ND versus $2,833 in Nosara.

  • Jamestown, ND $3,748
  • Nosara $2,833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,919 in Jamestown, ND versus $3,820 in Nosara.

  • Jamestown, ND $4,919
  • Nosara $3,820

Living in Jamestown, ND is roughly 40% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jamestown, ND 89% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jamestown, ND
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.07 $22.07
$12.36 ₡5,575
78.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.2 $67.2
$60.8 ₡27.4K
10.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.12 $12.12
$7.88 ₡3,557
53.81%
Cappuccino
$5.25 $5.25
$4.40 ₡1,986
19.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 $2.40
$1.72 ₡776
39.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 $2.17
$1.34 ₡603
61.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.25 $5.25
$3.34 ₡1,505
57.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.35 $7.35
$4.54 ₡2,048
61.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jamestown, ND
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.81 $0.81
$1.64 ₡739
-50.61%
White Bread (500g)
$3.48 $3.48
$3.16 ₡1,426
10.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.27 $4.27
$2.39 ₡1,080
78.66%
Eggs
$4.07 $4.07
$3.47 ₡1,564
17.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.40 $11.40
$7.13 ₡3,217
59.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 $10.24
$10.32 ₡4,655
-0.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.79 $16.79
$13.97 ₡6,302
20.19%
Apples (1kg)
$4.90 $4.90
$2.29 ₡1,031
113.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.62 ₡731
1.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.79 $4.79
$4.81 ₡2,169
-0.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.03 $5.03
$1.68 ₡758
199.40%
Potato (1kg)
$2.73 $2.73
$3.91 ₡1,765
-30.18%
Onion (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$3.63 ₡1,640
-10.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.13 ₡509
94.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 $1.91
$2.63 ₡1,188
-27.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.06 $9.06
$5.02 ₡2,267
80.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.91 $12.91
$19.71 ₡8,893
-34.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 $1.94
$2.91 ₡1,314
-33.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 $3.12
$3.54 ₡1,597
-11.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Jamestown, ND
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.15 $2.15
$1.21 ₡545
77.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.9 $61.9
$73.8 ₡33.3K
-16.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.07 $3.07
$2.15 ₡969
42.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 $1.63
$1.63 ₡738
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.20 $26.20
$8.77 ₡3,958
198.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.55 ₡700
-38.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$33.9K ₡15.3M
-23.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.0K $30.0K
$38.5K ₡17.4M
-22.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jamestown, ND
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 $201
$95.2 ₡43.0K
110.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$36.29 ₡16.4K
59.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.7 $68.7
$52.0 ₡23.5K
32.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jamestown, ND
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.40 $36.40
$67.6 ₡30.5K
-46.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.55 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.11 $13.11
$7.54 ₡3,404
73.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jamestown, ND
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,516 $1,516
$496 ₡224.0K
205.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.9K $25.9K
$11.8K ₡5.3M
120.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jamestown, ND
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.2 $52.2
$55.1 ₡24.9K
-5.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.82 $42.82
$56.1 ₡25.3K
-23.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.8 $89.8
$77.8 ₡35.1K
15.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 $102
$79.1 ₡35.7K
28.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jamestown, ND
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,533 $1,533
$817 ₡368.9K
87.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,263 $1,263
$806 ₡363.6K
56.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,517 $2,517
$3,988 ₡1.8M
-36.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 $2,062
$1,429 ₡644.9K
44.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,240 $3,240
$7,068 ₡3.2M
-54.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,060 $2,060
$1,197 ₡540.1K
72.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jamestown, ND
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,079 $3,079
$888 ₡400.7K
246.67%
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 Jamestown, ND: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Jamestown, ND
$1.3K
Nosara
$806 36.2% $457
Groceries & Markets
Jamestown, ND
$379
Nosara
$351 7.3% $28
Eating Out
Jamestown, ND
$335
Nosara
$213 36.4% $122
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jamestown, ND
$328
Nosara
$184 44% $144
Clothing & Footwear
Jamestown, ND
$129
Nosara
$121 6.4% $8.3
Getting Around
Jamestown, ND
$82
Nosara
$89 8.8% $7.2
Sport & Entertainment
Jamestown, ND
$63
Nosara
$83 32% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,533 in Jamestown, ND and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jamestown, ND pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Jamestown, ND vs $61 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $351 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Jamestown, ND
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
16:01 4:01 PM
15:01 3:01 PM
1 h behind Jamestown, ND
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jamestown, ND Nosara 4,290 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Jamestown, ND
  • 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
Jamestown, ND vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Jamestown, ND?
Nosara is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Jamestown, ND or Nosara?
Average pay in Jamestown, ND is about 3.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Jamestown, ND and Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,533 in Jamestown, ND versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Jamestown, ND or in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61 versus $67 in Jamestown, ND. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Jamestown, ND and in Nosara?
All in, you’ll spend $2,578 per month in Jamestown, ND versus $1,846 in Nosara – Nosara is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $3,000 enough for either Jamestown, ND or Nosara?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Jamestown, ND or in Nosara?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Jamestown, ND or Nosara?
Safety-wise, Jamestown, ND and Nosara are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Nosara wins on affordability, Jamestown, ND on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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