Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lenoir City, TN and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,305 in Lenoir City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lenoir City, TN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

112

Cost of Living Index in Lenoir City, TN
Learn more

Lenoir City, TN Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Lenoir City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,305

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,305 per month in Lenoir City, TN vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Lenoir City, TN $2,305
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,194 per month in Lenoir City, TN vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Lenoir City, TN $3,194
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,084 per month in Lenoir City, TN vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Lenoir City, TN $4,084
Nosara $3,814

Lenoir City, TN costs about 26% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lenoir City, TN and Nosara sit above the global median – Lenoir City, TN by 70%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.85 $12.85

$12.34 ₡5,535

4.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 $56.7

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-7.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 $8.77

$7.76 ₡3,481

13.02%

Cappuccino

$3.90 $3.90

$4.44 ₡1,992

-12.16%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$1.79 ₡803

40.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.29 ₡580

55.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.24 ₡1,451

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$4.43 ₡1,985

15.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.55 ₡696

-51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.08 ₡1,380

-28.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.53 ₡1,133

56.52%

Eggs

$3.20 $3.20

$3.45 ₡1,546

-7.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 $7.82

$7.32 ₡3,284

6.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$10.24 ₡4,594

-44.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 $7.60

$14.10 ₡6,326

-46.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.29 ₡1,027

95.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.64 ₡737

-26.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.79 ₡2,149

-6.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.64 ₡735

169.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.85 ₡1,727

-41.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.75 ₡1,681

-27.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.09 ₡488

35.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.59 ₡1,160

12.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.12 ₡2,295

60.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 $12.06

$19.92 ₡8,931

-39.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.80 ₡1,255

-37.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.52 ₡1,580

-49.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.22 ₡549

48.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.17 ₡973

126.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.56 ₡698

24.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.45 $34.45

$8.67 ₡3,886

297.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.55 ₡697

-37.42%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.96%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-35.15%

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

$147 $147

$94.8 ₡42.5K

54.93%

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

$60.8 $60.8

$36.15 ₡16.2K

68.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 $60.5

$53.1 ₡23.8K

14.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.33 $45.33

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-38.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 $14.73

$7.91 ₡3,548

86.22%

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

$784 $784

$490 ₡219.9K

59.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K $25.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

111.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.15 $42.15

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-23.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.63 $30.63

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-45.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 $75.8

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-5.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 $156

$77.9 ₡34.9K

100.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 $1,472

$801 ₡359.1K

83.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$790 ₡354.1K

62.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 $1,853

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-53.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$1,409 ₡632.0K

31.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,685 $2,685

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-62.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,373 $2,373

$1,236 ₡554.3K

92.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,175 $3,175

$887 ₡397.6K

258.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.00%

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

Last update for Lenoir City, TN: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lenoir City, TN

$1.3K 55.6%

Nosara

$790 43% 38.4% $493

Groceries & Markets

Lenoir City, TN

$292 12.7%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 19.9% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lenoir City, TN

$268 11.6%

Nosara

$184 10% 31.4% $84

Eating Out

Lenoir City, TN

$229 9.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Lenoir City, TN

$137 6%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 11.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Lenoir City, TN

$75 3.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 19.8% $15

Getting Around

Lenoir City, TN

$22 * 1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 306% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,472 in Lenoir City, TN versus $801 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 258% higher in Lenoir 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 $57.0 in Lenoir City, TN versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $350 – making Lenoir City, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lenoir City, TN

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

02:08 2:08 AM

2 h behind Lenoir City, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Lenoir City, TN Nosara 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lenoir 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

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

Lenoir City, TN costs about 26% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,457 per month in Lenoir City, TN and $2,753 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 $57.0 in Lenoir City, TN and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Lenoir City, TN – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Lenoir City, TN at $2,305. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lenoir City, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,305 in Lenoir City, TN. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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