Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Joplin, MO and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,032 in Joplin, MO, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Joplin, MO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Joplin, MO
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Joplin, MO Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Joplin, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,032

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,032 in Joplin, MO versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Joplin, MO $2,032
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,801 in Joplin, MO versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Joplin, MO $2,801
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,571 in Joplin, MO versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Joplin, MO $3,571
Nosara $3,818

Living in Joplin, MO is roughly 10% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Joplin, MO 50% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.74 $14.74

$12.35 ₡5,539

19.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.6 $59.6

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-2.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 $10.69

$7.52 ₡3,373

42.15%

Cappuccino

$4.59 $4.59

$4.41 ₡1,978

4.08%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$1.74 ₡780

12.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.31 ₡587

46.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.28 ₡1,471

48.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.47 ₡2,004

37.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.56 ₡701

-41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.02 ₡1,355

-7.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.51 ₡1,125

-13.94%

Eggs

$3.30 $3.30

$3.57 ₡1,603

-7.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$7.43 ₡3,333

21.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$10.52 ₡4,717

-33.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 $17.27

$13.97 ₡6,265

23.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.35 ₡1,052

66.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.61 ₡720

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$4.80 ₡2,152

-48.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.61 ₡724

31.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$3.80 ₡1,703

-67.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$3.69 ₡1,657

-37.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.13 ₡507

68.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.66 ₡1,191

-18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 $9.64

$5.18 ₡2,321

86.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 $15.13

$19.88 ₡8,916

-23.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.90 ₡1,300

-38.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$3.63 ₡1,626

-59.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.12 ₡504

83.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.14 ₡958

14.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.57 ₡703

1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.74 $40.74

$8.52 ₡3,823

378.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.52 ₡682

-48.68%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

73.11%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-29.42%

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

$278 $278

$96.3 ₡43.2K

189.01%

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

$42.98 $42.98

$35.89 ₡16.1K

19.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$53.6 ₡24.0K

29.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.72 $14.72

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-79.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 $13.47

$7.89 ₡3,539

70.72%

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

$932 $932

$494 ₡221.6K

88.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

34.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.69 $40.69

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-24.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.86 $31.86

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-42.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 $99.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

27.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 $70.0

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-12.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$788 ₡353.4K

60.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 $911

$794 ₡356.2K

14.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-56.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-10.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,441 $1,441

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-79.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,460 $1,460

$1,224 ₡549.0K

19.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,370 $3,370

$864 ₡387.3K

290.29%

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 Joplin, MO: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Joplin, MO

$911 44.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 12.8% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Joplin, MO

$390 19.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 52.4% $205

Groceries & Markets

Joplin, MO

$304 15%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 15.8% $48

Eating Out

Joplin, MO

$257 12.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 17.7% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Joplin, MO

$109 5.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 10.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Joplin, MO

$42 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 110% $46

Getting Around

Joplin, MO

$19 * 0.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 368% $68

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 $1,265 in Joplin, MO and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Joplin, MO pays 290% 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: $60.0 in Joplin, MO vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $352 per month, with Joplin, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Joplin, MO

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

08:02 8:02 AM

1 h behind Joplin, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,762

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Joplin, MO Nosara 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Joplin, 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

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

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 290% higher in Joplin, 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: $1,265 in Joplin, MO versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Joplin, MO pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,032 per month in Joplin, MO versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,032 in Joplin, MO, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Joplin, 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 Joplin, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Joplin, 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 10% less than in Joplin, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.