Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monticello, AR and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,407 in Monticello, AR, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Monticello, AR outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

114

Cost of Living Index in Monticello, AR
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Monticello, AR Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Monticello, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,407

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,407 per month in Monticello, AR vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Monticello, AR $2,407
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,453 per month in Monticello, AR vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Monticello, AR $3,453
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,499 per month in Monticello, AR vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Monticello, AR $4,499
Nosara $3,814

Monticello, AR costs about 31% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monticello, AR and Nosara sit above the global median – Monticello, AR by 78%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$12.34 ₡5,535

47.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$61.3 ₡27.5K

22.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$7.76 ₡3,481

55.03%

Cappuccino

$5.50 $5.50

$4.44 ₡1,992

23.87%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$1.79 ₡803

31.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.29 ₡580

58.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 $7.13

$3.24 ₡1,451

120.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$4.43 ₡1,985

82.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.55 ₡696

-41.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 $1.20

$3.08 ₡1,380

-61.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.53 ₡1,133

-17.79%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$3.45 ₡1,546

7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.32 ₡3,284

21.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$10.24 ₡4,594

-34.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$14.10 ₡6,326

-37.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.29 ₡1,027

47.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.64 ₡737

-21.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$4.79 ₡2,149

-43.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.64 ₡735

32.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.85 ₡1,727

-15.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.75 ₡1,681

-38.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.09 ₡488

68.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.59 ₡1,160

-13.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$5.12 ₡2,295

84.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 $12.74

$19.92 ₡8,931

-36.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.80 ₡1,255

-36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$3.52 ₡1,580

-54.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.22 ₡549

88.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.17 ₡973

-9.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.56 ₡698

-10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.32 $20.32

$8.67 ₡3,886

134.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.55 ₡697

-38.06%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.03%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-29.81%

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

$190 $190

$94.8 ₡42.5K

100.25%

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

$40.07 $40.07

$36.15 ₡16.2K

10.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.59 $45.59

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-14.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.43 $42.43

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-42.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 $10.98

$7.91 ₡3,548

38.81%

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

$1,219 $1,219

$490 ₡219.9K

148.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

108.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.74 $23.74

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-56.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.03 $33.03

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-40.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 $69.0

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-14.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$77.9 ₡34.9K

92.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$801 ₡359.1K

97.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 $1,345

$790 ₡354.1K

70.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,702 $2,702

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-32.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 $2,132

$1,409 ₡632.0K

51.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,660 $2,660

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-62.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,221 $2,221

$1,236 ₡554.3K

79.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 Monticello, AR: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monticello, AR

$1.3K 55.9%

Nosara

$790 43% 41.3% $555

Eating Out

Monticello, AR

$318 13.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 33% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monticello, AR

$276 11.5%

Nosara

$184 10% 33.2% $92

Groceries & Markets

Monticello, AR

$263 10.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 32.9% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Monticello, AR

$124 5.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 2.6% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Monticello, AR

$64 2.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 39.2% $25

Getting Around

Monticello, AR

$18 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 391% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,584 in Monticello, AR 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 $75.0 in Monticello, AR versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $263 in Monticello, AR vs $350 in Nosara – so Monticello, AR wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monticello, AR

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

16:24 4:24 PM

1 h behind Monticello, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,414

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Monticello, AR Nosara 2,700 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Monticello, AR
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

Monticello, AR vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Monticello, AR is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,611 per month in Monticello, AR 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Monticello, AR and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 33% cheaper in Monticello, AR – 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 $1,835, than in Monticello, AR at $2,407. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monticello, AR 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, Monticello, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.