Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jefferson City, MO and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Jefferson City, MO and in Nosara: $1,853 and $1,839 a month, rent and utilities included.

90

Cost of Living Index in Jefferson City, MO
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Jefferson City, MO Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Jefferson City, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$1,853

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Jefferson City, MO $1,853
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,907 in Jefferson City, MO versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Jefferson City, MO $2,907
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,962 in Jefferson City, MO versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Jefferson City, MO $3,962
Nosara $3,818

Living in Jefferson City, MO is roughly 1% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jefferson City, MO 37% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 $15.07

$12.35 ₡5,539

22.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.75 $40.75

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-33.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 $9.97

$7.52 ₡3,373

32.58%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$4.41 ₡1,978

21.09%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$1.74 ₡780

17.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.31 ₡587

68.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 $5.41

$3.28 ₡1,471

64.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 $6.67

$4.47 ₡2,004

49.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.56 ₡701

-44.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.02 ₡1,355

11.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.51 ₡1,125

76.49%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$3.57 ₡1,603

17.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$7.43 ₡3,333

-39.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 $9.94

$10.52 ₡4,717

-5.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$13.97 ₡6,265

-4.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.35 ₡1,052

87.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.61 ₡720

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.80 ₡2,152

-10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.61 ₡724

167.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.80 ₡1,703

-19.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.69 ₡1,657

-10.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.13 ₡507

112.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.66 ₡1,191

-27.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.12 $8.12

$5.18 ₡2,321

56.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.34 $12.34

$19.88 ₡8,916

-37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.90 ₡1,300

-33.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.63 ₡1,626

6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.12 ₡504

172.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.14 ₡958

19.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.57 ₡703

-22.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.1 $61.1

$8.52 ₡3,823

617.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.52 ₡682

-44.08%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

64.24%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-28.07%

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

$201 $201

$96.3 ₡43.2K

108.54%

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

$66.5 $66.5

$35.89 ₡16.1K

85.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

31.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$7.89 ₡3,539

92.14%

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

$1,192 $1,192

$494 ₡221.6K

141.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

79.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-7.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.77 $43.77

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-21.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$77.9 ₡34.9K

32.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$79.6 ₡35.7K

58.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 $880

$788 ₡353.4K

11.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 $705

$794 ₡356.2K

-11.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 $1,777

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-54.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$1,419 ₡636.5K

12.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,541 $1,541

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-77.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,732 $1,732

$1,224 ₡549.0K

41.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,918 $1,918

$864 ₡387.3K

122.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

8.62

-23.90%

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

Last update for Jefferson City, MO: 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

Jefferson City, MO

$705 38.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 12.7% $89

Groceries & Markets

Jefferson City, MO

$341 18.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 3.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jefferson City, MO

$338 18.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 45% $152

Eating Out

Jefferson City, MO

$272 14.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 22.1% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Jefferson City, MO

$146 7.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Jefferson City, MO

$30 * 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 188% $57

Getting Around

Jefferson City, MO

$21 * 1.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 318% $66

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 $880 in Jefferson City, MO and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jefferson City, MO pays 122% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $41.00 in Jefferson City, MO vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $352 per month, with Jefferson City, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jefferson City, MO

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

23:50 11:50 PM

1 h behind Jefferson City, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,079

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Highest

Between locations

Jefferson City, MO Nosara 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Jefferson City, MO
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

Jefferson City, MO vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 122% higher in Jefferson City, MO, 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: $880 in Jefferson City, MO versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,192 in Jefferson City, MO 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 Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $41.00 in Jefferson City, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Jefferson City, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Jefferson City, MO 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Jefferson City, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.