Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lowell, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,689 in Lowell, MA, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Lowell, MA
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Lowell, MA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lowell, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,689 per month in Lowell, MA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Lowell, MA $2,689
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $4,243 per month in Lowell, MA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Lowell, MA $4,243
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,797 per month in Lowell, MA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Lowell, MA $5,797
Nosara $3,814

Lowell, MA costs about 46% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lowell, MA and Nosara sit above the global median – Lowell, MA by 98%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 $18.09

$12.34 ₡5,535

46.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 $69.0

$61.3 ₡27.5K

12.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.76 ₡3,481

19.07%

Cappuccino

$4.90 $4.90

$4.44 ₡1,992

10.36%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$1.79 ₡803

12.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.29 ₡580

27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.24 ₡1,451

53.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.21 $8.21

$4.43 ₡1,985

85.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.55 ₡696

-47.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.08 ₡1,380

-30.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$2.53 ₡1,133

108.70%

Eggs

$4.11 $4.11

$3.45 ₡1,546

19.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 $11.15

$7.32 ₡3,284

52.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.94 $8.94

$10.24 ₡4,594

-12.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.47 $17.47

$14.10 ₡6,326

23.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.29 ₡1,027

19.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.64 ₡737

-25.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.82 $6.82

$4.79 ₡2,149

42.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$1.64 ₡735

236.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$3.85 ₡1,727

-56.62%

Onion (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.75 ₡1,681

18.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.09 ₡488

176.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.59 ₡1,160

-15.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 $13.78

$5.12 ₡2,295

169.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 $13.42

$19.92 ₡8,931

-32.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.80 ₡1,255

-37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.52 ₡1,580

19.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.22 ₡549

48.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 $55.2

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-25.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.17 ₡973

86.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.56 ₡698

12.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.46 $29.46

$8.67 ₡3,886

239.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.55 ₡697

-45.81%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.85%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-31.50%

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

$186 $186

$94.8 ₡42.5K

96.08%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$36.15 ₡16.2K

42.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$53.1 ₡23.8K

26.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.07 $40.07

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-45.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.45 $12.45

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-65.06%

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 $14.05

$7.91 ₡3,548

77.62%

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

$1,410 $1,410

$490 ₡219.9K

187.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K $29.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

148.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 $57.8

$54.8 ₡24.6K

5.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.86 $37.86

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-32.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-1.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 $70.2

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-9.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 $1,620

$801 ₡359.1K

102.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 $1,474

$790 ₡354.1K

86.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,728 $3,728

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-6.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 $3,116

$1,409 ₡632.0K

121.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,460 $3,460

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-51.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,536 $3,536

$1,236 ₡554.3K

186.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,963 $3,963

$887 ₡397.6K

346.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

8.62

-29.23%

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

Last update for Lowell, MA: 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

Lowell, MA

$1.5K 54.8%

Nosara

$790 43% 46.4% $684

Groceries & Markets

Lowell, MA

$370 13.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 5.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lowell, MA

$304 11.3%

Nosara

$184 10% 39.6% $120

Eating Out

Lowell, MA

$287 10.7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 25.9% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Lowell, MA

$110 4.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 9.8% $11

Getting Around

Lowell, MA

$75 2.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 18.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Lowell, MA

$68 2.5%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 31.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,620 in Lowell, MA 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 347% higher in Lowell, MA, 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 $69.0 in Lowell, MA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lowell, MA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:57 1:57 AM

23:57 11:57 PM

2 h behind Lowell, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,519

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

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Between locations

Lowell, MA Nosara 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lowell, MA
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

Lowell, MA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lowell, MA is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,033 per month in Lowell, MA 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.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,410 per month in Lowell, MA and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Lowell, MA at $2,689. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lowell, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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, Lowell, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.