Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manassas, VA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,064 in Manassas, VA, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Manassas, VA
Learn more

Manassas, VA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Manassas, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,064

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,064 in Manassas, VA versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Manassas, VA $3,064
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,424 in Manassas, VA versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Manassas, VA $4,424
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,784 in Manassas, VA versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Manassas, VA $5,784
Nosara $3,818

Living in Manassas, VA is roughly 67% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manassas, VA 127% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$12.35 ₡5,539

98.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 $90.9

$61.2 ₡27.4K

48.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 $12.11

$7.52 ₡3,373

61.04%

Cappuccino

$6.68 $6.68

$4.41 ₡1,978

51.47%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$1.74 ₡780

48.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.31 ₡587

80.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 $6.63

$3.28 ₡1,471

102.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$4.47 ₡2,004

83.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.56 ₡701

-32.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.02 ₡1,355

23.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.19 $7.19

$2.51 ₡1,125

186.45%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.57 ₡1,603

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.94 $10.94

$7.43 ₡3,333

47.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.50 $14.50

$10.52 ₡4,717

37.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

$13.97 ₡6,265

43.95%

Apples (1kg)

$7.59 $7.59

$2.35 ₡1,052

222.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.61 ₡720

40.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.99 $7.99

$4.80 ₡2,152

66.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$1.61 ₡724

326.71%

Potato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$3.80 ₡1,703

48.42%

Onion (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.69 ₡1,657

12.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.13 ₡507

98.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.66 ₡1,191

-20.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.03 $9.03

$5.18 ₡2,321

74.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.18 $14.18

$19.88 ₡8,916

-28.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.90 ₡1,300

-27.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.63 ₡1,626

5.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.12 ₡504

358.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$72.6 ₡32.6K

38.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.14 ₡958

44.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.57 ₡703

-7.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.39 $20.39

$8.52 ₡3,823

139.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.52 ₡682

-31.58%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

66.23%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-28.30%

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

$211 $211

$96.3 ₡43.2K

119.30%

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

$53.0 $53.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

47.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 $60.0

$53.6 ₡24.0K

12.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.15 $44.15

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-38.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.98 $19.98

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-42.77%

Cinema Ticket

$17.77 $17.77

$7.89 ₡3,539

125.22%

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

$1,916 $1,916

$494 ₡221.6K

287.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K $12.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

2.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.00 $47.00

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-12.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.01 $49.01

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-11.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$77.9 ₡34.9K

31.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$79.6 ₡35.7K

31.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,838 $1,838

$788 ₡353.4K

133.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 $1,526

$794 ₡356.2K

92.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,920 $2,920

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-25.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 $2,293

$1,419 ₡636.5K

61.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,733 $2,733

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-60.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,484 $2,484

$1,224 ₡549.0K

102.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,795 $4,795

$864 ₡387.3K

455.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Manassas, VA: 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

Manassas, VA

$1.5K 49.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 47.9% $731

Groceries & Markets

Manassas, VA

$485 15.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 27.4% $133

Eating Out

Manassas, VA

$382 12.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 44.5% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manassas, VA

$324 10.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 42.7% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Manassas, VA

$136 4.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 11.9% $16

Getting Around

Manassas, VA

$132 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 33.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Manassas, VA

$80 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 9.6% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,838 in Manassas, VA and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manassas, VA pays 455% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in Manassas, VA vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manassas, VA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

00:03 12:03 AM

2 h behind Manassas, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,772

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Manassas, VA Nosara 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Manassas, VA
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

Manassas, VA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Manassas, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 455% higher in Manassas, VA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,838 in Manassas, VA versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 39% less than in Manassas, VA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,916 in Manassas, VA versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,064 in Manassas, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Manassas, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manassas, VA and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Manassas, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.