Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Livingston, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,037 in Livingston, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Livingston, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Livingston, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,037
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,037 per month in Livingston, TX vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Livingston, TX $2,037
  • Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,765 per month in Livingston, TX vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Livingston, TX $2,765
  • Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,492 per month in Livingston, TX vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Livingston, TX $3,492
  • Nosara $3,814

Livingston, TX costs about 11% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Livingston, TX and Nosara sit above the global median – Livingston, TX by 50%, Nosara by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Livingston, TX
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.80 $19.80
$12.34 ₡5,535
60.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.5 $64.5
$61.3 ₡27.5K
5.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.90 $12.90
$7.76 ₡3,481
66.24%
Cappuccino
$5.26 $5.26
$4.44 ₡1,992
18.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$1.79 ₡803
57.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.29 ₡580
38.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.06 $5.06
$3.24 ₡1,451
56.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.51 $5.51
$4.43 ₡1,985
24.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Livingston, TX
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.55 ₡696
-28.39%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 $2.31
$3.08 ₡1,380
-25.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.43 $4.43
$2.53 ₡1,133
75.10%
Eggs
$3.11 $3.11
$3.45 ₡1,546
-9.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.54 $8.54
$7.32 ₡3,284
16.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.71 $14.71
$10.24 ₡4,594
43.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.84 $12.84
$14.10 ₡6,326
-8.94%
Apples (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$2.29 ₡1,027
90.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.64 ₡737
18.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 $2.25
$4.79 ₡2,149
-53.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.84 $2.84
$1.64 ₡735
73.17%
Potato (1kg)
$3.35 $3.35
$3.85 ₡1,727
-12.99%
Onion (1kg)
$3.28 $3.28
$3.75 ₡1,681
-12.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.44 $2.44
$1.09 ₡488
123.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.06 $3.06
$2.59 ₡1,160
18.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.97 $5.97
$5.12 ₡2,295
16.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.68 $11.68
$19.92 ₡8,931
-41.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$2.80 ₡1,255
-23.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 $1.80
$3.52 ₡1,580
-48.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Livingston, TX
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.22 ₡549
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$2.17 ₡973
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.56 ₡698
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.80 $14.80
$8.67 ₡3,886
70.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 $0.85
$1.55 ₡697
-45.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.2K $48.2K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
39.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.2K $24.2K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-37.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Livingston, TX
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$242 $242
$94.8 ₡42.5K
155.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.7 $58.7
$36.15 ₡16.2K
62.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.7 $68.7
$53.1 ₡23.8K
29.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Livingston, TX
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$9.82 $9.82
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-86.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.82 $12.82
$7.91 ₡3,548
62.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Livingston, TX
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$490 ₡219.9K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Livingston, TX
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$24.46 $24.46
$54.8 ₡24.6K
-55.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.64 $19.64
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-64.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.0 $91.0
$80.4 ₡36.0K
13.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$65.6 $65.6
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-15.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Livingston, TX
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,021 $1,021
$801 ₡359.1K
27.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$867 $867
$790 ₡354.1K
9.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,216 $1,216
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-69.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 $1,016
$1,409 ₡632.0K
-27.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,236 ₡554.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Livingston, TX
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,957 $3,957
$887 ₡397.6K
346.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.71
8.62
-22.16%

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

Last update for Livingston, TX: 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
Livingston, TX
$867
Nosara
$790 9% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Livingston, TX
$370
Nosara
$184 50.2% $186
Groceries & Markets
Livingston, TX
$359
Nosara
$350 2.7% $9.7
Eating Out
Livingston, TX
$315
Nosara
$213 32.5% $102
Clothing & Footwear
Livingston, TX
$90
Nosara
$121 34% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Livingston, TX
$35
Nosara
$90 153% $54
Getting Around
Livingston, TX
- *
Nosara
$89

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,021 in Livingston, TX 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 346% higher in Livingston, TX, 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 $65.0 in Livingston, TX versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Livingston, TX
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
10:33 10:33 AM
09:33 9:33 AM
1 h behind Livingston, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,400
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Livingston, TX Nosara 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Livingston, TX
  • 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
Livingston, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Livingston, TX or Nosara?
Livingston, TX costs about 11% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Livingston, TX and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,056 per month in Livingston, TX and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Livingston, TX or Nosara?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Livingston, TX compared to Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,037 in Livingston, TX and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 11%.
Are groceries more expensive in Livingston, TX or in Nosara?
Groceries cost about 3% more in Livingston, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Livingston, TX or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Livingston, TX at $2,037. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Livingston, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Livingston, TX or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,037 in Livingston, TX. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Livingston, TX compared to Nosara?
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.
Should I move to Livingston, TX or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Livingston, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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