Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Juneau, AK and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,171 in Juneau, AK, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Juneau, AK
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Juneau, AK Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Juneau, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,171

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,171 in Juneau, AK versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Juneau, AK $3,171
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,765 in Juneau, AK versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Juneau, AK $4,765
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,359 in Juneau, AK versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Juneau, AK $6,359
Nosara $3,712

Living in Juneau, AK is roughly 73% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Juneau, AK 137% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.45 $16.45

$12.22 ₡5,509

34.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$60.2 ₡27.1K

48.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.97 $15.97

$7.54 ₡3,399

111.80%

Cappuccino

$7.14 $7.14

$4.31 ₡1,941

65.66%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$1.72 ₡773

66.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.35 ₡608

56.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 $6.82

$3.24 ₡1,459

110.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.48 ₡2,018

55.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.57 ₡707

-10.83%

White Bread (500g)

$7.23 $7.23

$3.17 ₡1,429

128.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.42 ₡1,091

97.93%

Eggs

$5.69 $5.69

$3.57 ₡1,609

59.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.49 $22.49

$7.43 ₡3,349

202.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.64 $15.64

$10.42 ₡4,697

50.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 $18.43

$13.66 ₡6,156

34.92%

Apples (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$2.32 ₡1,044

184.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.61 ₡728

129.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$4.74 ₡2,138

3.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$1.66 ₡747

248.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.72 ₡1,679

-18.82%

Onion (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.57 ₡1,611

19.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.10 ₡497

160.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.55 ₡1,149

1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.89 $14.89

$4.95 ₡2,232

200.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.03 $17.03

$20.01 ₡9,020

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.79 ₡1,256

-8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.53 ₡1,589

-4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.19 ₡537

66.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.22 $39.22

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-45.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.57 ₡708

-25.48%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

11.01%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-6.17%

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

$382 $382

$93.5 ₡42.1K

308.85%

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

$75.7 $75.7

$35.11 ₡15.8K

115.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$109 $109

$51.5 ₡23.2K

111.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$132 $132

$71.4 ₡32.2K

84.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.89 $14.89

$7.84 ₡3,535

89.92%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$490 ₡220.7K

217.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$53.5 ₡24.1K

9.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.47 $44.47

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-20.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 $85.4

$79.3 ₡35.7K

7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$78.9 ₡35.6K

89.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 $1,649

$786 ₡354.3K

109.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$780 ₡351.6K

72.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,018 $3,018

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-21.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$1,407 ₡634.4K

89.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,661 $3,661

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-47.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,684 $3,684

$1,201 ₡541.3K

206.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,024 $4,024

$876 ₡395.0K

359.15%

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 Juneau, AK: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Juneau, AK

$1.3K 42.7%

Nosara

$780 43% 42.1% $568

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Juneau, AK

$567 18%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 68.2% $386

Groceries & Markets

Juneau, AK

$547 17.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 36.1% $197

Eating Out

Juneau, AK

$333 10.6%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 37.1% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Juneau, AK

$161 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 46.1% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Juneau, AK

$152 4.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 20.8% $32

Getting Around

Juneau, AK

$47 * 1.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 84.2% $40

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 $1,649 in Juneau, AK and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Juneau, AK pays 359% 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: $89.0 in Juneau, AK vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Juneau, AK

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:58 5:58 PM

19:58 7:58 PM

2 h ahead of Juneau, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,000

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Juneau, AK Nosara 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Juneau, AK
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

Juneau, AK vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Juneau, AK. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 359% higher in Juneau, AK, 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: $1,649 in Juneau, AK versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,171 per month in Juneau, AK versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 84% less than in Juneau, AK. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $3,171 in Juneau, AK, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Juneau, AK. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Juneau, AK 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 73% less than in Juneau, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.