Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Cruces, NM and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,085 in Las Cruces, NM, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Las Cruces, NM
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Las Cruces, NM Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Las Cruces, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,085

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,085 per month in Las Cruces, NM vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

Las Cruces, NM $2,085
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $3,045 per month in Las Cruces, NM vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

Las Cruces, NM $3,045
Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $4,004 per month in Las Cruces, NM vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

Las Cruces, NM $4,004
Nosara $3,790

Las Cruces, NM costs about 13% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Las Cruces, NM and Nosara sit above the global median – Las Cruces, NM by 54%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 $17.44

$12.38 ₡5,568

40.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.67 $44.67

$60.6 ₡27.2K

-26.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 $12.08

$7.81 ₡3,513

54.67%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$4.37 ₡1,966

32.72%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$1.78 ₡800

41.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.35 ₡605

55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.51 $6.51

$3.39 ₡1,526

92.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 $9.19

$4.31 ₡1,939

113.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.55 ₡699

-49.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.17 ₡1,425

13.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.51 ₡1,130

47.81%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$3.53 ₡1,585

32.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$7.37 ₡3,313

80.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 $11.95

$10.46 ₡4,703

14.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 $17.43

$13.91 ₡6,255

25.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.26 ₡1,018

90.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.56 ₡701

30.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$4.70 ₡2,113

-28.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.62 ₡729

138.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.88 ₡1,746

-42.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.79 ₡1,704

-36.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.07 ₡481

65.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.61 ₡1,174

-29.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.82 $10.82

$5.16 ₡2,319

109.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.96 $14.96

$20.33 ₡9,143

-26.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.91 ₡1,310

-19.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.67 ₡1,651

-4.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.19 ₡984

4.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.84 ₡829

25.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,513

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.56 ₡702

-40.38%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-16.74%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-36.25%

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

$171 $171

$95.9 ₡43.1K

77.97%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$35.37 ₡15.9K

66.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.7 $87.7

$53.7 ₡24.1K

63.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.18 $44.18

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-34.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 $10.91

$35.43 ₡15.9K

-69.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 $9.97

$7.72 ₡3,473

29.15%

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

$680 $680

$496 ₡222.8K

37.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,476 $6,476

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-45.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$54.6 ₡24.6K

9.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.32 $32.32

$55.0 ₡24.7K

-41.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 $84.6

$79.8 ₡35.9K

5.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 $99.4

$77.9 ₡35.0K

27.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 $857

$817 ₡367.5K

4.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 $865

$800 ₡359.7K

8.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-60.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 $1,447

$1,396 ₡627.6K

3.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,279 $2,279

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-67.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,900 $1,900

$1,222 ₡549.6K

55.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,635 $3,635

$879 ₡395.3K

313.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

8.62

-26.22%

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

Last update for Las Cruces, NM: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Las Cruces, NM

$865 41.5%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 7.5% $65

Groceries & Markets

Las Cruces, NM

$385 18.5%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 8.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Las Cruces, NM

$317 15.2%

Nosara

$185 10% 41.7% $132

Eating Out

Las Cruces, NM

$315 15.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 32.3% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Las Cruces, NM

$124 6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3.2% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Las Cruces, NM

$64 3.1%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 29.3% $19

Getting Around

Las Cruces, NM

$14 * 0.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 550% $76

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $857 in Las Cruces, NM versus $817 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 in Las Cruces, NM are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Las Cruces, NM versus $61 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $385 in Las Cruces, NM vs $353 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Las Cruces, NM

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

1 h ahead of Las Cruces, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,385

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Las Cruces, NM Nosara 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Las Cruces, NM
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

Las Cruces, NM vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Cruces, NM costs about 13% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,127 per month in Las Cruces, NM and $2,765 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $857 in Las Cruces, NM and $817 in Nosara. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Las Cruces, NM and $61 in Nosara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Las Cruces, NM, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,085 in Las Cruces, NM and $1,844 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Las Cruces, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.