Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Morgantown, WV and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,292 in Morgantown, WV, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Morgantown, WV
🇺🇸 United States
$2,292
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,292 per month in Morgantown, WV vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Morgantown, WV $2,292
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,457 per month in Morgantown, WV vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Morgantown, WV $3,457
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,622 per month in Morgantown, WV vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Morgantown, WV $4,622
  • Nosara $3,818

Morgantown, WV costs about 25% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Morgantown, WV and Nosara sit above the global median – Morgantown, WV by 70%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Morgantown, WV
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.12 $20.12
$12.35 ₡5,539
62.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.1 $67.1
$61.2 ₡27.4K
9.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.81 $10.81
$7.52 ₡3,373
43.75%
Cappuccino
$4.63 $4.63
$4.41 ₡1,978
4.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 $2.71
$1.74 ₡780
55.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.31 ₡587
68.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.62 $4.62
$3.28 ₡1,471
40.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49 $4.49
$4.47 ₡2,004
0.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Morgantown, WV
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.81 $0.81
$1.56 ₡701
-48.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.24 $2.24
$3.02 ₡1,355
-25.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.76 $3.76
$2.51 ₡1,125
49.80%
Eggs
$4.27 $4.27
$3.57 ₡1,603
19.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.69 $10.69
$7.43 ₡3,333
43.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.30 $14.30
$10.52 ₡4,717
35.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.80 $12.80
$13.97 ₡6,265
-8.38%
Apples (1kg)
$6.43 $6.43
$2.35 ₡1,052
173.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 $1.91
$1.61 ₡720
18.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.20 $4.20
$4.80 ₡2,152
-12.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.21 $5.21
$1.61 ₡724
223.60%
Potato (1kg)
$7.46 $7.46
$3.80 ₡1,703
96.32%
Onion (1kg)
$5.42 $5.42
$3.69 ₡1,657
46.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.13 ₡507
69.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.54 $2.54
$2.66 ₡1,191
-4.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.20 $10.20
$5.18 ₡2,321
96.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.23 $14.23
$19.88 ₡8,916
-28.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$2.90 ₡1,300
-41.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 $3.17
$3.63 ₡1,626
-12.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Morgantown, WV
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.12 ₡504
74.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.8 $78.8
$72.6 ₡32.6K
8.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.89 $4.89
$2.14 ₡958
128.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.06 $3.06
$1.57 ₡703
94.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.60 $35.60
$8.52 ₡3,823
317.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.92 $0.92
$1.52 ₡682
-39.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9K $22.9K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
5.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.1K $24.1K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-30.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Morgantown, WV
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$451 $451
$96.3 ₡43.2K
368.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.63 $38.63
$35.89 ₡16.1K
7.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.6 $72.6
$53.6 ₡24.0K
35.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Morgantown, WV
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$17.38 $17.38
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-75.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.8 $50.8
$34.91 ₡15.7K
45.43%
Cinema Ticket
$15.73 $15.73
$7.89 ₡3,539
99.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Morgantown, WV
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$598 $598
$494 ₡221.6K
21.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$64.2K $64.2K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
441.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Morgantown, WV
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 $57.4
$53.9 ₡24.2K
6.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.41 $25.41
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-54.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.1 $74.1
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-4.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.7 $69.7
$79.6 ₡35.7K
-12.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Morgantown, WV
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 $980
$788 ₡353.4K
24.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$766 $766
$794 ₡356.2K
-3.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,821 $1,821
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-53.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,541 $1,541
$1,419 ₡636.5K
8.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,929 $1,929
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-72.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,769 $1,769
$1,224 ₡549.0K
44.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Morgantown, WV
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,127 $4,127
$864 ₡387.3K
377.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.66
8.62
-22.74%

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

Last update for Morgantown, WV: 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
Morgantown, WV
$766
Nosara
$794 3.7% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Morgantown, WV
$563
Nosara
$186 67% $377
Groceries & Markets
Morgantown, WV
$406
Nosara
$352 13.2% $54
Eating Out
Morgantown, WV
$301
Nosara
$212 29.6% $89
Getting Around
Morgantown, WV
$107
Nosara
$87 18.5% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Morgantown, WV
$102
Nosara
$120 17.8% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Morgantown, WV
$49
Nosara
$87 78.9% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Morgantown, WV 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 378% higher in Morgantown, WV, 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 $67.0 in Morgantown, WV versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Morgantown, WV
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
12:41 12:41 PM
10:41 10:41 AM
2 h behind Morgantown, WV
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
30,347
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Morgantown, WV Nosara 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Morgantown, WV
  • 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
Morgantown, WV vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Morgantown, WV or Nosara?
Morgantown, WV costs about 25% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Morgantown, WV and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,439 per month in Morgantown, WV and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Morgantown, WV or Nosara?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Morgantown, WV compared to Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,292 in Morgantown, WV and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 25%.
How expensive is transport in Morgantown, WV compared to Nosara?
Public transport costs about 8% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Morgantown, WV or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Morgantown, WV at $2,292. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Morgantown, WV it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Morgantown, WV or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,292 in Morgantown, WV. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Morgantown, WV compared to Nosara?
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.
Should I move to Morgantown, WV or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Morgantown, WV makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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