Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medford, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,154 in Medford, MA, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

151

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Medford, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,154

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,154 per month in Medford, MA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Medford, MA $3,154
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Medford, MA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Medford, MA $4,274
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,393 per month in Medford, MA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Medford, MA $5,393
Nosara $3,814

Medford, MA costs about 72% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medford, MA and Nosara sit above the global median – Medford, MA by 133%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.19 $18.19

$12.34 ₡5,535

47.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.1 $96.1

$61.3 ₡27.5K

56.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 $12.11

$7.76 ₡3,481

56.06%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$4.44 ₡1,992

22.30%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$1.79 ₡803

60.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.29 ₡580

90.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$3.24 ₡1,451

145.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.22 $9.22

$4.43 ₡1,985

108.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.55 ₡696

-30.32%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.08 ₡1,380

31.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.53 ₡1,133

115.42%

Eggs

$4.83 $4.83

$3.45 ₡1,546

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 $11.23

$7.32 ₡3,284

53.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$10.24 ₡4,594

38.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.78 $17.78

$14.10 ₡6,326

26.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$2.29 ₡1,027

186.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.64 ₡737

5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$4.79 ₡2,149

17.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$1.64 ₡735

231.71%

Potato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.85 ₡1,727

16.88%

Onion (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.75 ₡1,681

7.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.09 ₡488

165.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.59 ₡1,160

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.37 $13.37

$5.12 ₡2,295

161.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 $13.66

$19.92 ₡8,931

-31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.80 ₡1,255

-26.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.52 ₡1,580

17.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.22 ₡549

102.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 $88.6

$73.9 ₡33.1K

19.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.17 ₡973

21.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.56 ₡698

14.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.34 $28.34

$8.67 ₡3,886

226.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.55 ₡697

-33.55%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.84%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.79%

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

$239 $239

$94.8 ₡42.5K

152.05%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$36.15 ₡16.2K

55.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.5 $84.5

$53.1 ₡23.8K

59.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.19 $45.19

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-38.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.91 ₡3,548

80.53%

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

$1,818 $1,818

$490 ₡219.9K

270.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K $29.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

147.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 $57.7

$54.8 ₡24.6K

5.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.35 $38.35

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-31.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 $81.3

$80.4 ₡36.0K

1.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$77.9 ₡34.9K

28.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 $1,606

$801 ₡359.1K

100.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 $1,682

$790 ₡354.1K

112.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-36.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,123 $2,123

$1,409 ₡632.0K

50.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,666 $2,666

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-62.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 $2,577

$1,236 ₡554.3K

108.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 Medford, MA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medford, MA

$1.7K 53.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 53% $892

Groceries & Markets

Medford, MA

$458 14.5%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 23.6% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medford, MA

$380 12%

Nosara

$184 10% 51.5% $196

Eating Out

Medford, MA

$327 10.4%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 34.9% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Medford, MA

$125 4%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 3.2% $4

Getting Around

Medford, MA

$110 3.5%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 19.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Medford, MA

$74 2.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 21.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,606 in Medford, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Medford, MA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Medford, MA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

07:14 7:14 AM

2 h behind Medford, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,173

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

Medford, MA Nosara 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medford, 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

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

Yes – Medford, MA is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,732 per month in Medford, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,154 in Medford, MA and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 72%.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Medford, MA at $3,154. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medford, 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, Medford, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.