Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montclair, NJ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,923 in Montclair, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Montclair, NJ
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Montclair, NJ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Montclair, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,923

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,923 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $2,923
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $4,274
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,626 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $5,626
Nosara $3,818

Montclair, NJ costs about 59% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montclair, NJ and Nosara sit above the global median – Montclair, NJ by 117%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$12.35 ₡5,539

61.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

29.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$7.52 ₡3,373

75.27%

Cappuccino

$6.44 $6.44

$4.41 ₡1,978

46.03%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$1.74 ₡780

42.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.31 ₡587

12.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.66 $8.66

$3.28 ₡1,471

164.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$4.47 ₡2,004

54.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.56 ₡701

-18.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.02 ₡1,355

48.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$2.51 ₡1,125

142.63%

Eggs

$6.14 $6.14

$3.57 ₡1,603

71.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 $13.71

$7.43 ₡3,333

84.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 $10.37

$10.52 ₡4,717

-1.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.41 $18.41

$13.97 ₡6,265

31.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$2.35 ₡1,052

149.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.61 ₡720

29.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$4.80 ₡2,152

-12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$1.61 ₡724

238.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.80 ₡1,703

-18.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.69 ₡1,657

-18.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.13 ₡507

156.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.66 ₡1,191

-1.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.73 $17.73

$5.18 ₡2,321

242.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$19.88 ₡8,916

-25.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.90 ₡1,300

-39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.63 ₡1,626

0.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.14 ₡958

36.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.57 ₡703

34.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.91 $41.91

$8.52 ₡3,823

391.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.52 ₡682

-26.97%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

67.34%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.39%

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

$170 $170

$96.3 ₡43.2K

76.26%

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

$51.7 $51.7

$35.89 ₡16.1K

44.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.53 $49.53

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-7.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.2 $79.2

$71.6 ₡32.1K

10.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$20.46 $20.46

$7.89 ₡3,539

159.32%

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

$2,014 $2,014

$494 ₡221.6K

307.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

34.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 $71.1

$53.9 ₡24.2K

31.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 $51.5

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$77.9 ₡34.9K

29.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$79.6 ₡35.7K

51.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 $2,227

$788 ₡353.4K

182.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 $1,570

$794 ₡356.2K

97.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,763 $3,763

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-4.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,573 $2,573

$1,419 ₡636.5K

81.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

8.62

-21.11%

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

Last update for Montclair, NJ: 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

Montclair, NJ

$1.6K 53.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 49.4% $775

Groceries & Markets

Montclair, NJ

$444 15.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 20.7% $92

Eating Out

Montclair, NJ

$349 11.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 39.3% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montclair, NJ

$271 9.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 31.4% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Montclair, NJ

$155 5.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 22.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Montclair, NJ

$120 4.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 27.2% $33

Getting Around

Montclair, NJ

$13 * 0.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 546% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,227 in Montclair, NJ 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Montclair, NJ versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $444 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montclair, NJ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

13:56 1:56 PM

2 h behind Montclair, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,669

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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Between locations

Montclair, NJ Nosara 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montclair, NJ
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

Montclair, NJ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montclair, NJ is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,384 per month in Montclair, NJ 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 $2,923 in Montclair, NJ and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 59%.

Kindergarten costs $2,014 per month in Montclair, NJ and $494 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 $1,839, than in Montclair, NJ at $2,923. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montclair, NJ 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, Montclair, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.