Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lufkin, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,213 in Lufkin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lufkin, TX
Learn more

Lufkin, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Lufkin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,213

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,213 per month in Lufkin, TX vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Lufkin, TX $2,213
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,585 per month in Lufkin, TX vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Lufkin, TX $3,585
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,957 per month in Lufkin, TX vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Lufkin, TX $4,957
Nosara $3,818

Lufkin, TX costs about 20% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lufkin, TX and Nosara sit above the global median – Lufkin, TX by 64%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.93 $19.93

$12.35 ₡5,539

61.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 $77.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

26.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 $10.14

$7.52 ₡3,373

34.84%

Cappuccino

$5.73 $5.73

$4.41 ₡1,978

29.93%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$1.74 ₡780

47.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.31 ₡587

71.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 $7.07

$3.28 ₡1,471

115.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.53 $7.53

$4.47 ₡2,004

68.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.56 ₡701

-35.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.02 ₡1,355

3.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.51 ₡1,125

62.95%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$3.57 ₡1,603

63.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.89 $22.89

$7.43 ₡3,333

208.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.87 $11.87

$10.52 ₡4,717

12.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 $19.48

$13.97 ₡6,265

39.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.35 ₡1,052

96.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.61 ₡720

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$4.80 ₡2,152

-45.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.61 ₡724

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.80 ₡1,703

-25.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.69 ₡1,657

-32.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.13 ₡507

72.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.66 ₡1,191

6.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.40 $9.40

$5.18 ₡2,321

81.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.61 $19.61

$19.88 ₡8,916

-1.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.63 ₡1,626

-7.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.12 ₡504

85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.14 ₡958

41.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.57 ₡703

10.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.66 $32.66

$8.52 ₡3,823

283.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.52 ₡682

-41.45%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

67.68%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.21%

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

$204 $204

$96.3 ₡43.2K

111.98%

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

$47.45 $47.45

$35.89 ₡16.1K

32.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 $54.0

$53.6 ₡24.0K

0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.60 $39.60

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-44.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 $15.09

$7.89 ₡3,539

91.25%

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

$1,340 $1,340

$494 ₡221.6K

171.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K $25.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

113.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$53.9 ₡24.2K

11.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.72 $37.72

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-31.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

10.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 $68.0

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-14.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 $1,148

$788 ₡353.4K

45.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$941 $941

$794 ₡356.2K

18.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,516 $2,516

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-36.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,123 $2,123

$1,419 ₡636.5K

49.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,898 $2,898

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-58.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,098 $2,098

$1,224 ₡549.0K

71.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

8.62

-24.48%

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

Last update for Lufkin, TX: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lufkin, TX

$941 42.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 15.6% $147

Groceries & Markets

Lufkin, TX

$435 19.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 19.1% $83

Eating Out

Lufkin, TX

$328 14.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 35.5% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lufkin, TX

$306 13.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 39.2% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Lufkin, TX

$114 5.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 5.8% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Lufkin, TX

$70 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 25.2% $18

Getting Around

Lufkin, TX

$20 * 0.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 335% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,148 in Lufkin, TX versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Lufkin, TX versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $435 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lufkin, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

06:53 6:53 AM

1 h behind Lufkin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,085

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Lufkin, TX Nosara 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lufkin, 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

Lufkin, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lufkin, TX costs about 20% 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 $3,320 per month in Lufkin, TX and $2,758 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 $77.0 in Lufkin, TX and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Lufkin, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Lufkin, TX at $2,213. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lufkin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,213 in Lufkin, TX. 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, Lufkin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.