Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Pleasant, SC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,569 in Mount Pleasant, SC, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Mount Pleasant, SC
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Mount Pleasant, SC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mount Pleasant, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,569

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,569 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Mount Pleasant, SC $2,569
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,832 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Mount Pleasant, SC $3,832
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Mount Pleasant, SC $5,095
Nosara $3,712

Living in Mount Pleasant, SC is roughly 40% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mount Pleasant, SC 92% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 $20.23

$12.22 ₡5,509

65.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$60.2 ₡27.1K

33.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 $10.93

$7.54 ₡3,399

44.96%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.31 ₡1,941

31.09%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$1.72 ₡773

59.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.35 ₡608

65.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.24 ₡1,459

90.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$4.48 ₡2,018

83.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.57 ₡707

-35.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.17 ₡1,429

32.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.42 ₡1,091

35.95%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$3.57 ₡1,609

19.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$7.43 ₡3,349

125.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$10.42 ₡4,697

39.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 $18.00

$13.66 ₡6,156

31.77%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$2.32 ₡1,044

123.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.61 ₡728

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$4.74 ₡2,138

-1.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.66 ₡747

183.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.57 ₡1,611

-10.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.10 ₡497

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.55 ₡1,149

-11.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.12 $10.12

$4.95 ₡2,232

104.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 $15.73

$20.01 ₡9,020

-21.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.79 ₡1,256

-13.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.53 ₡1,589

-14.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.19 ₡537

84.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.24 ₡1,011

31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.55 ₡701

-21.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.68 $29.68

$8.86 ₡3,993

234.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.57 ₡708

-37.58%

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

$34.6K $34.6K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

58.70%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-27.81%

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

$173 $173

$93.5 ₡42.1K

84.72%

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

$66.3 $66.3

$35.11 ₡15.8K

88.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.3 $81.3

$51.5 ₡23.2K

57.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.67 $41.67

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-41.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.25 $14.25

$7.84 ₡3,535

81.76%

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

$1,277 $1,277

$490 ₡220.7K

160.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K $24.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

108.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-5.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.74 $36.74

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-34.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 $96.2

$79.3 ₡35.7K

21.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$78.9 ₡35.6K

74.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 $1,574

$786 ₡354.3K

100.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 $1,177

$780 ₡351.6K

50.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,731 $2,731

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-29.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 $2,095

$1,407 ₡634.4K

48.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,793 $2,793

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-59.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,657 $2,657

$1,201 ₡541.3K

121.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

8.62

-24.83%

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

Last update for Mount Pleasant, SC: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mount Pleasant, SC

$1.2K 47.1%

Nosara

$780 43% 33.7% $397

Groceries & Markets

Mount Pleasant, SC

$438 17.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 20.2% $89

Eating Out

Mount Pleasant, SC

$330 13.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 36.4% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mount Pleasant, SC

$320 12.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 43.8% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Mount Pleasant, SC

$145 5.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 16.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Mount Pleasant, SC

$70 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 24.1% $17

Getting Around

Mount Pleasant, SC

$18 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 388% $69

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 $1,574 in Mount Pleasant, SC and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Mount Pleasant, SC vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mount Pleasant, SC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

11:36 11:36 AM

2 h behind Mount Pleasant, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,202

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 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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Highest

Between locations

Mount Pleasant, SC Nosara 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Mount Pleasant, SC
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 Pleasant, SC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mount Pleasant, SC and Nosara differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,569 vs $1,837 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,854 in Mount Pleasant, SC and $2,756 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,574 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Mount Pleasant, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,569 per month in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,569 in Mount Pleasant, SC, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Mount Pleasant, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mount Pleasant, SC and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Mount Pleasant, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.