Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Laurel, NJ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,546 in Mount Laurel, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Mount Laurel, NJ
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Mount Laurel, NJ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mount Laurel, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,546

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,546 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Mount Laurel, NJ $2,546
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,715 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Mount Laurel, NJ $3,715
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,885 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Mount Laurel, NJ $4,885
Nosara $3,814

Mount Laurel, NJ costs about 39% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mount Laurel, NJ and Nosara sit above the global median – Mount Laurel, NJ by 88%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.17 $17.17

$12.34 ₡5,535

39.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$61.3 ₡27.5K

32.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$7.76 ₡3,481

51.80%

Cappuccino

$5.17 $5.17

$4.44 ₡1,992

16.44%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$1.79 ₡803

70.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.29 ₡580

50.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.24 ₡1,451

-6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 $5.87

$4.43 ₡1,985

32.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.55 ₡696

-5.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.08 ₡1,380

-8.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.53 ₡1,133

114.62%

Eggs

$3.95 $3.95

$3.45 ₡1,546

14.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$7.32 ₡3,284

67.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 $6.56

$10.24 ₡4,594

-35.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$14.10 ₡6,326

-5.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$2.29 ₡1,027

147.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.64 ₡737

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.79 ₡2,149

-9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.64 ₡735

171.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.85 ₡1,727

-42.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.75 ₡1,681

-16.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.09 ₡488

118.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.59 ₡1,160

-8.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$5.12 ₡2,295

128.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$19.92 ₡8,931

-25.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.80 ₡1,255

-13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.52 ₡1,580

26.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.22 ₡549

75.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.17 ₡973

27.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.56 ₡698

-2.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.84 $23.84

$8.67 ₡3,886

174.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.55 ₡697

-29.03%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-5.93%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-31.43%

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

$212 $212

$94.8 ₡42.5K

123.68%

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

$63.0 $63.0

$36.15 ₡16.2K

74.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$53.1 ₡23.8K

22.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.85 $38.85

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-47.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$15.47 $15.47

$7.91 ₡3,548

95.58%

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

$2,268 $2,268

$490 ₡219.9K

362.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.8K $41.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

251.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.83 $48.83

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-10.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.01 $47.01

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-15.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$80.4 ₡36.0K

30.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$77.9 ₡34.9K

82.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 $1,569

$801 ₡359.1K

95.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 $1,312

$790 ₡354.1K

66.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 $2,461

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-38.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 $2,148

$1,409 ₡632.0K

52.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,099 $3,099

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-56.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,106 $2,106

$1,236 ₡554.3K

70.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

8.62

-23.20%

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

Last update for Mount Laurel, NJ: 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

Mount Laurel, NJ

$1.3K 51.6%

Nosara

$790 43% 39.8% $523

Groceries & Markets

Mount Laurel, NJ

$369 14.5%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 5.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mount Laurel, NJ

$340 13.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 45.9% $156

Eating Out

Mount Laurel, NJ

$282 11.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 24.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Mount Laurel, NJ

$154 6.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 21.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Mount Laurel, NJ

$70 2.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 28.4% $20

Getting Around

Mount Laurel, NJ

$19 * 0.7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 369% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,569 in Mount Laurel, NJ 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 $81.0 in Mount Laurel, NJ versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $369 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mount Laurel, NJ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:27 7:27 PM

17:27 5:27 PM

2 h behind Mount Laurel, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,326

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mount Laurel, NJ Nosara 3,500 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mount Laurel, 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

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

Yes – Mount Laurel, NJ is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,819 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,546 in Mount Laurel, NJ and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 39%.

Kindergarten costs $2,268 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ and $490 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 $1,835, than in Mount Laurel, NJ at $2,546. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mount Laurel, 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, Mount Laurel, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.