Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johnson City, TN and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,099 in Johnson City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,099

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,099 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $2,099
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,126 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $3,126
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,153 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $4,153
Nosara $3,818

Johnson City, TN costs about 14% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Johnson City, TN and Nosara sit above the global median – Johnson City, TN by 55%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.27 $14.27

$12.35 ₡5,539

15.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 $54.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-11.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$7.52 ₡3,373

31.52%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$4.41 ₡1,978

20.63%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.74 ₡780

68.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.31 ₡587

48.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.28 ₡1,471

49.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 $5.86

$4.47 ₡2,004

31.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.56 ₡701

-35.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.02 ₡1,355

29.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.51 ₡1,125

54.18%

Eggs

$3.20 $3.20

$3.57 ₡1,603

-10.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.31 $7.31

$7.43 ₡3,333

-1.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 $13.57

$10.52 ₡4,717

28.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 $12.99

$13.97 ₡6,265

-7.02%

Apples (1kg)

$7.75 $7.75

$2.35 ₡1,052

229.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.61 ₡720

11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.80 ₡2,152

-17.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.61 ₡724

124.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.80 ₡1,703

-7.89%

Onion (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.69 ₡1,657

13.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.13 ₡507

98.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.66 ₡1,191

-13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.18 ₡2,321

55.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 $13.10

$19.88 ₡8,916

-34.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.63 ₡1,626

21.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.12 ₡504

119.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.08 $37.08

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-48.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 $5.37

$2.14 ₡958

150.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.57 ₡703

-5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.07 $15.07

$8.52 ₡3,823

76.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.52 ₡682

-42.11%

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

$32.1K $32.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

48.49%

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

$21.7K $21.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-37.22%

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

$176 $176

$96.3 ₡43.2K

82.92%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

45.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.3 $63.3

$53.6 ₡24.0K

18.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.50 $47.50

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-33.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 $19.61

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-43.83%

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 $11.77

$7.89 ₡3,539

49.18%

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

$1,224 $1,224

$494 ₡221.6K

147.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K $14.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

22.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.93 $36.93

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-31.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.74 $30.74

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-44.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 $86.9

$77.9 ₡34.9K

11.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 $95.3

$79.6 ₡35.7K

19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 $1,085

$788 ₡353.4K

37.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$912 $912

$794 ₡356.2K

14.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 $2,031

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-48.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 $1,583

$1,419 ₡636.5K

11.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,201 $2,201

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-68.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,159 $2,159

$1,224 ₡549.0K

76.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,505 $3,505

$864 ₡387.3K

305.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

8.62

-24.71%

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

Last update for Johnson City, TN: 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

Johnson City, TN

$912 43.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 12.9% $118

Groceries & Markets

Johnson City, TN

$389 18.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 9.4% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johnson City, TN

$291 13.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 36.3% $106

Eating Out

Johnson City, TN

$263 12.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 19.6% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Johnson City, TN

$112 5.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 6.8% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 23% $16

Getting Around

Johnson City, TN

$60 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 45.9% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,085 in Johnson City, TN 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 306% higher in Johnson City, 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 $54.0 in Johnson City, TN versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $389 in Johnson City, TN vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

2 h behind Johnson City, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,027

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

Johnson City, TN Nosara 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Johnson City, 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

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

Yes – Johnson City, TN is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,148 per month in Johnson City, TN 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 $54.0 in Johnson City, TN 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 $2,099 in Johnson City, TN and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Johnson City, TN at $2,099. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johnson City, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Johnson City, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.