Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,566 in Knoxville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,566

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,566 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Knoxville, TN $2,566
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,815 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Knoxville, TN $3,815
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,064 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Knoxville, TN $5,064
Nosara $3,712

Living in Knoxville, TN 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: Knoxville, TN 92% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.48 $17.48

$12.22 ₡5,509

43.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$60.2 ₡27.1K

26.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 $10.14

$7.54 ₡3,399

34.48%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$4.31 ₡1,941

24.13%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$1.72 ₡773

56.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.35 ₡608

102.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 $6.31

$3.24 ₡1,459

94.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 $6.65

$4.48 ₡2,018

48.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.57 ₡707

-31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.17 ₡1,429

9.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.42 ₡1,091

96.69%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$3.57 ₡1,609

19.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 $9.93

$7.43 ₡3,349

33.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.34 $9.34

$10.42 ₡4,697

-10.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$13.66 ₡6,156

11.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$2.32 ₡1,044

191.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.61 ₡728

-7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$4.74 ₡2,138

-42.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$1.66 ₡747

229.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.72 ₡1,679

-40.32%

Onion (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$3.57 ₡1,611

15.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.10 ₡497

111.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.55 ₡1,149

-14.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$4.95 ₡2,232

98.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$20.01 ₡9,020

-26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.79 ₡1,256

-30.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.53 ₡1,589

-11.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.19 ₡537

-15.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.07 $30.07

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-58.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.24 ₡1,011

121.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.55 ₡701

1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.43 $30.43

$8.86 ₡3,993

243.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.57 ₡708

-40.13%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

72.79%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-21.11%

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

$219 $219

$93.5 ₡42.1K

134.07%

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

$73.9 $73.9

$35.11 ₡15.8K

110.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 $53.3

$51.5 ₡23.2K

3.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.46 $29.46

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-58.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.85 $21.85

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-38.35%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 $15.40

$7.84 ₡3,535

96.43%

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

$1,230 $1,230

$490 ₡220.7K

151.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

102.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.76 $49.76

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-7.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.35 $45.35

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$79.3 ₡35.7K

37.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$78.9 ₡35.6K

54.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 $1,767

$786 ₡354.3K

124.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 $1,264

$780 ₡351.6K

62.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,902 $2,902

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-24.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 $2,166

$1,407 ₡634.4K

53.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,689 $4,689

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-32.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,267 $2,267

$1,201 ₡541.3K

88.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,623 $3,623

$876 ₡395.0K

313.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: 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

Knoxville, TN

$1.3K 49.7%

Nosara

$780 43% 38.3% $485

Groceries & Markets

Knoxville, TN

$381 15%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 8.2% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Knoxville, TN

$346 13.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 48% $166

Eating Out

Knoxville, TN

$301 11.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 30.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Knoxville, TN

$147 5.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 17.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Knoxville, TN

$60 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 44.5% $27

Getting Around

Knoxville, TN

$47 1.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 84.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,767 in Knoxville, TN and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 313% 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: $76.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

00:49 12:49 AM

2 h behind Knoxville, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,740

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 →

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Knoxville, TN Nosara 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Knoxville, 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

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

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Knoxville, TN. 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 313% higher in Knoxville, TN, 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: $1,767 in Knoxville, TN versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Knoxville, TN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $76.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,566 in Knoxville, TN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Knoxville, TN. 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, Knoxville, TN 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 40% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.