Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Midland, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,137 in Midland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Midland, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

132

Cost of Living Index in Midland, TX
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Midland, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Midland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,137

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,137 per month in Midland, TX vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Midland, TX $2,137
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,947 per month in Midland, TX vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Midland, TX $2,947
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,758 per month in Midland, TX vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Midland, TX $3,758
Nosara $3,818

Midland, TX costs about 16% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Midland, TX and Nosara sit above the global median – Midland, TX by 58%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.07 $16.07

$12.35 ₡5,539

30.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.7 $55.7

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-9.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.52 ₡3,373

30.98%

Cappuccino

$5.16 $5.16

$4.41 ₡1,978

17.01%

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

$4.66 $4.66

$1.74 ₡780

167.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.31 ₡587

232.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.07 $10.07

$3.28 ₡1,471

207.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.20 $12.20

$4.47 ₡2,004

172.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.56 ₡701

-47.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.02 ₡1,355

11.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.51 ₡1,125

74.90%

Eggs

$2.94 $2.94

$3.57 ₡1,603

-17.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 $11.20

$7.43 ₡3,333

50.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.61 ₡720

-32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.13 ₡507

55.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.66 ₡1,191

-24.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.20 $12.20

$5.18 ₡2,321

135.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$19.88 ₡8,916

-25.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.90 ₡1,300

-40.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.52 ₡682

-42.11%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$53.3 $53.3

$35.89 ₡16.1K

48.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 $71.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

33.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.04 $10.04

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-85.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$12.67 $12.67

$7.89 ₡3,539

60.58%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.4 $79.4

$53.9 ₡24.2K

47.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.46 $29.46

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-46.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 $152

$77.9 ₡34.9K

94.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$79.6 ₡35.7K

89.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 $1,530

$788 ₡353.4K

94.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$794 ₡356.2K

61.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 $2,095

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-46.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 $1,806

$1,419 ₡636.5K

27.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,029 $2,029

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-70.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,029 $2,029

$1,224 ₡549.0K

65.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,648 $5,648

$864 ₡387.3K

554.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

8.62

-19.72%

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

Last update for Midland, TX: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Midland, TX

$1.3K 59.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 38% $486

Eating Out

Midland, TX

$331 15.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 36% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Midland, TX

$185 8.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 35.1% $65

Groceries & Markets

Midland, TX

$181 * 8.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 94.8% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Midland, TX

$125 * 5.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 49% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Midland, TX

$35 1.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 147% $52

Getting Around

Midland, TX

- * 0%

Nosara

$87 4.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,530 in Midland, 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.

Salaries run about 554% higher in Midland, TX, 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 $56.0 in Midland, TX versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $352 – making Midland, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Midland, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:27 3:27 AM

02:27 2:27 AM

1 h behind Midland, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,524

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

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Highest

Between locations

Midland, TX Nosara 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Midland, 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

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

Midland, TX costs about 16% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,206 per month in Midland, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,137 in Midland, TX and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 16%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 95% cheaper in Midland, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Midland, TX at $2,137. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Midland, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,137 in Midland, 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, Midland, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.