Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Missoula, MT and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,609 in Missoula, MT, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Missoula, MT
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Missoula, MT Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,609 in Missoula, MT versus $1,844 in Nosara.

Missoula, MT $2,609
Nosara $1,844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,087 in Missoula, MT versus $2,817 in Nosara.

Missoula, MT $4,087
Nosara $2,817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,565 in Missoula, MT versus $3,790 in Nosara.

Missoula, MT $5,565
Nosara $3,790

Living in Missoula, MT is roughly 42% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Missoula, MT 93% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.73 $16.73

$12.38 ₡5,568

35.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$60.6 ₡27.2K

24.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.27 $9.27

$7.81 ₡3,513

18.69%

Cappuccino

$4.37 $4.37

$4.37 ₡1,966

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

$3.10 $3.10

$1.78 ₡800

74.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.35 ₡605

73.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.39 ₡1,526

72.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.31 ₡1,939

37.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.55 ₡699

-27.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.17 ₡1,425

8.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.51 ₡1,130

98.41%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$3.53 ₡1,585

20.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.81 $24.81

$7.37 ₡3,313

236.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 $9.67

$10.46 ₡4,703

-7.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 $18.98

$13.91 ₡6,255

36.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$2.26 ₡1,018

112.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.56 ₡701

-6.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$4.70 ₡2,113

38.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$1.62 ₡729

130.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.88 ₡1,746

-39.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.79 ₡1,704

-21.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.07 ₡481

125.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.61 ₡1,174

49.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.50 $10.50

$5.16 ₡2,319

103.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.82 $24.82

$20.33 ₡9,143

22.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.91 ₡1,310

-31.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.67 ₡1,651

19.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.19 ₡984

134.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.99 $4.99

$1.84 ₡829

171.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.29 $39.29

$7.81 ₡3,513

403.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.56 ₡702

-30.13%

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

$32.3K $32.3K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-3.31%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-35.53%

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

$139 $139

$95.9 ₡43.1K

44.83%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$35.37 ₡15.9K

48.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$53.7 ₡24.1K

28.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.22 $49.22

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-27.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 $22.25

$35.43 ₡15.9K

-37.20%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$7.72 ₡3,473

78.11%

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

$2,009 $2,009

$496 ₡222.8K

305.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

49.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$54.6 ₡24.6K

21.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 $44.46

$55.0 ₡24.7K

-19.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$79.8 ₡35.9K

30.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$77.9 ₡35.0K

91.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$817 ₡367.5K

86.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 $1,324

$800 ₡359.7K

65.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,992 $2,992

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-23.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$1,396 ₡627.6K

89.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 $4,211

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-39.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,475 $3,475

$1,222 ₡549.6K

184.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,666 $3,666

$879 ₡395.3K

316.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

8.62

-20.65%

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

Last update for Missoula, MT: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 50.7%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 39.5% $523

Groceries & Markets

Missoula, MT

$477 18.3%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 26.2% $125

Eating Out

Missoula, MT

$277 10.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 23.1% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Missoula, MT

$261 10%

Nosara

$185 10% 29.1% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Missoula, MT

$164 6.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 26.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Missoula, MT

$77 2.9%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 8.1% $6.2

Getting Around

Missoula, MT

$30 * 1.2%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 199% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,522 in Missoula, MT and $817 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Missoula, MT pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Missoula, MT vs $61 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $353 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

06:56 6:56 AM

1 h ahead of Missoula, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,489

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 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

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Between locations

Missoula, MT Nosara 4,890 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Missoula, MT
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

Missoula, MT vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Missoula, MT is about 4.2 times higher, 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: $1,522 in Missoula, MT versus $817 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,009 in Missoula, MT versus $496 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61 versus $75 in Missoula, MT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Missoula, MT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Missoula, MT and Nosara are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Nosara wins on affordability, Missoula, MT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.