Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Myrtle Beach, SC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,475 in Myrtle Beach, SC, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Myrtle Beach, SC
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Myrtle Beach, SC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Myrtle Beach, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,475

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,475 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Myrtle Beach, SC $2,475
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,452 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Myrtle Beach, SC $3,452
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Myrtle Beach, SC $4,429
Nosara $3,712

Myrtle Beach, SC costs about 35% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Myrtle Beach, SC and Nosara sit above the global median – Myrtle Beach, SC by 85%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.88 $17.88

$12.22 ₡5,509

46.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$60.2 ₡27.1K

22.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 $11.18

$7.54 ₡3,399

48.28%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$4.31 ₡1,941

21.58%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$1.72 ₡773

51.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.35 ₡608

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.24 ₡1,459

79.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.48 ₡2,018

55.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.57 ₡707

-38.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.42 ₡1,091

31.40%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$3.57 ₡1,609

9.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 $12.89

$7.43 ₡3,349

73.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 $10.59

$10.42 ₡4,697

1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.66 ₡6,156

8.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.32 ₡1,044

121.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.61 ₡728

-20.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.74 ₡2,138

-8.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$1.66 ₡747

169.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.72 ₡1,679

3.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.57 ₡1,611

-19.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.10 ₡497

64.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.55 ₡1,149

-10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.29 $7.29

$4.95 ₡2,232

47.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 $12.77

$20.01 ₡9,020

-36.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.79 ₡1,256

-32.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.53 ₡1,589

-40.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.24 ₡1,011

36.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.55 ₡701

23.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.97 $29.97

$8.86 ₡3,993

238.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.57 ₡708

-41.40%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

25.93%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-32.88%

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

$156 $156

$93.5 ₡42.1K

66.98%

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

$68.0 $68.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

93.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.3 $79.3

$51.5 ₡23.2K

54.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 $51.7

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-27.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.88 $14.88

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-58.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.27 $11.27

$7.84 ₡3,535

43.75%

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

$1,483 $1,483

$490 ₡220.7K

202.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

108.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-4.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 $37.81

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-32.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 $84.5

$79.3 ₡35.7K

6.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 $89.3

$78.9 ₡35.6K

13.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$786 ₡354.3K

95.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 $1,268

$780 ₡351.6K

62.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,409 $2,409

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-37.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 $1,777

$1,407 ₡634.4K

26.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,437 $2,437

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-65.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,277 $2,277

$1,201 ₡541.3K

89.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,593 $3,593

$876 ₡395.0K

310.00%

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 Myrtle Beach, 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

Myrtle Beach, SC

$1.3K 51.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 38.5% $488

Groceries & Markets

Myrtle Beach, SC

$370 15.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 5.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Myrtle Beach, SC

$303 12.4%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 40.7% $123

Eating Out

Myrtle Beach, SC

$302 12.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 30.6% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Myrtle Beach, SC

$118 4.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 1.8% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Myrtle Beach, SC

$74 3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 17.2% $13

Getting Around

Myrtle Beach, SC

$13 * 0.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 589% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,536 in Myrtle Beach, SC versus $786 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 310% higher in Myrtle Beach, SC, 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 $74.0 in Myrtle Beach, SC versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Myrtle Beach, SC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

12:34 12:34 PM

2 h behind Myrtle Beach, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,175

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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Between locations

Myrtle Beach, SC Nosara 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Myrtle Beach, 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

Myrtle Beach, SC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Myrtle Beach, SC is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,712 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC and $2,756 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 $2,475 in Myrtle Beach, SC and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 35%.

Kindergarten costs $1,483 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC 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 $1,837, than in Myrtle Beach, SC at $2,475. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Myrtle Beach, SC 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, Myrtle Beach, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.