Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Memphis, TN and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,484 in Memphis, TN, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Memphis, TN
Learn more

Memphis, TN Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Memphis, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,484

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,484 per month in Memphis, TN vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Memphis, TN $2,484
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,630 per month in Memphis, TN vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Memphis, TN $3,630
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,775 per month in Memphis, TN vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Memphis, TN $4,775
Nosara $3,712

Memphis, TN costs about 35% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Memphis, TN and Nosara sit above the global median – Memphis, TN by 85%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.83 $17.83

$12.22 ₡5,509

45.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$60.2 ₡27.1K

24.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$7.54 ₡3,399

60.48%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$4.31 ₡1,941

29.00%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$1.72 ₡773

38.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.35 ₡608

45.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 $7.18

$3.24 ₡1,459

121.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$4.48 ₡2,018

83.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.57 ₡707

-42.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.17 ₡1,429

-0.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.42 ₡1,091

65.70%

Eggs

$3.78 $3.78

$3.57 ₡1,609

5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.45 $13.45

$7.43 ₡3,349

81.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 $11.36

$10.42 ₡4,697

9.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.44 $19.44

$13.66 ₡6,156

42.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$2.32 ₡1,044

146.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.61 ₡728

9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$4.74 ₡2,138

26.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$1.66 ₡747

190.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.72 ₡1,679

-13.44%

Onion (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.57 ₡1,611

17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.10 ₡497

132.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.55 ₡1,149

-16.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.63 $10.63

$4.95 ₡2,232

114.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 $12.87

$20.01 ₡9,020

-35.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.79 ₡1,256

-35.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.53 ₡1,589

-53.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.19 ₡537

-18.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.19 $39.19

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-45.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.24 ₡1,011

-13.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.55 ₡701

-9.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.61 $19.61

$8.86 ₡3,993

121.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.57 ₡708

-36.94%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

71.70%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-22.64%

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

$186 $186

$93.5 ₡42.1K

99.15%

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

$86.8 $86.8

$35.11 ₡15.8K

147.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 $76.2

$51.5 ₡23.2K

48.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.38 $31.38

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-56.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.72 $16.72

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-52.82%

Cinema Ticket

$15.15 $15.15

$7.84 ₡3,535

93.24%

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

$1,722 $1,722

$490 ₡220.7K

251.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

110.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.26 $47.26

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-11.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.34 $33.34

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-40.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 $82.7

$79.3 ₡35.7K

4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$78.9 ₡35.6K

93.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 $1,495

$786 ₡354.3K

90.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 $1,157

$780 ₡351.6K

48.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 $2,080

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-46.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 $1,884

$1,407 ₡634.4K

33.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,781 $1,781

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-74.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 $1,364

$1,201 ₡541.3K

13.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,648 $3,648

$876 ₡395.0K

316.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

8.62

-23.43%

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

Last update for Memphis, TN: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Memphis, TN

$1.2K 46.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 32.6% $377

Groceries & Markets

Memphis, TN

$406 16.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 14% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Memphis, TN

$349 14.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 48.4% $169

Eating Out

Memphis, TN

$316 12.7%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 33.6% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Memphis, TN

$142 5.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 15.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Memphis, TN

$62 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 41.2% $25

Getting Around

Memphis, TN

$52 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 66.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,495 in Memphis, TN versus $786 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 316% higher in Memphis, TN, 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 $75.0 in Memphis, TN versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Memphis, TN

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

06:10 6:10 AM

1 h behind Memphis, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

633,104

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Memphis, TN Nosara 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Memphis, TN
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

Memphis, TN vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,484 in Memphis, TN, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,726 per month in Memphis, TN and $2,756 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 84% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,722 per month in Memphis, TN 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 $1,837, than in Memphis, TN at $2,484. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Memphis, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $2,484 in Memphis, TN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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