Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nashville, TN and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,837 in Nashville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nashville, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,837
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,837 in Nashville, TN versus $1,837 in Nosara.

  • Nashville, TN $2,837
  • Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,263 in Nashville, TN versus $2,775 in Nosara.

  • Nashville, TN $4,263
  • Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,689 in Nashville, TN versus $3,712 in Nosara.

  • Nashville, TN $5,689
  • Nosara $3,712

Living in Nashville, TN is roughly 54% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nashville, TN 112% above, Nosara 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nashville, TN
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.89 $17.89
$12.22 ₡5,509
46.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.3 $84.3
$60.2 ₡27.1K
40.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.15 $12.15
$7.54 ₡3,399
61.14%
Cappuccino
$6.56 $6.56
$4.31 ₡1,941
52.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 $2.88
$1.72 ₡773
67.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 $2.40
$1.35 ₡608
77.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.87 $6.87
$3.24 ₡1,459
112.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.07 $8.07
$4.48 ₡2,018
80.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nashville, TN
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.57 ₡707
-28.03%
White Bread (500g)
$3.90 $3.90
$3.17 ₡1,429
23.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.01 $4.01
$2.42 ₡1,091
65.70%
Eggs
$4.20 $4.20
$3.57 ₡1,609
17.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.78 $12.78
$7.43 ₡3,349
72.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.44 $14.44
$10.42 ₡4,697
38.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.70 $18.70
$13.66 ₡6,156
36.90%
Apples (1kg)
$5.70 $5.70
$2.32 ₡1,044
145.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.61 ₡728
-1.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.21 $4.21
$4.74 ₡2,138
-11.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.92 $4.92
$1.66 ₡747
196.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.60 $2.60
$3.72 ₡1,679
-30.11%
Onion (1kg)
$3.06 $3.06
$3.57 ₡1,611
-14.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.10 ₡497
114.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 $2.34
$2.55 ₡1,149
-8.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.25 $10.25
$4.95 ₡2,232
107.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.89 $15.89
$20.01 ₡9,020
-20.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.49 $2.49
$2.79 ₡1,256
-10.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.68 $4.68
$3.53 ₡1,589
32.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Nashville, TN
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.19 ₡537
72.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.0 $65.0
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-9.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.92 $4.92
$2.24 ₡1,011
119.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.55 ₡701
-1.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.09 $21.09
$8.86 ₡3,993
138.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.57 ₡708
-35.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.3K $37.3K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
71.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.9K $27.9K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-19.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nashville, TN
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$230 $230
$93.5 ₡42.1K
146.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$74.3 $74.3
$35.11 ₡15.8K
111.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.8 $75.8
$51.5 ₡23.2K
47.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nashville, TN
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.3 $54.3
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-23.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.42 $14.42
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-59.31%
Cinema Ticket
$14.96 $14.96
$7.84 ₡3,535
90.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nashville, TN
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,469 $1,469
$490 ₡220.7K
200.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.8K $30.8K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
159.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nashville, TN
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.7 $54.7
$53.5 ₡24.1K
2.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.23 $42.23
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-24.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.1 $93.1
$79.3 ₡35.7K
17.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 $141
$78.9 ₡35.6K
79.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nashville, TN
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,958 $1,958
$786 ₡354.3K
149.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,379 $1,379
$780 ₡351.6K
76.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,364 $4,364
$3,860 ₡1.7M
13.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,427 $2,427
$1,407 ₡634.4K
72.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,907 $7,907
$6,972 ₡3.1M
13.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,687 $2,687
$1,201 ₡541.3K
123.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nashville, TN
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,733 $4,733
$876 ₡395.0K
440.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
8.62
-24.01%

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

Last update for Nashville, TN: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nashville, TN
$1.4K
Nosara
$780 43.4% $599
Groceries & Markets
Nashville, TN
$434
Nosara
$350 19.5% $85
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nashville, TN
$380
Nosara
$180 52.6% $200
Eating Out
Nashville, TN
$330
Nosara
$209 36.5% $121
Clothing & Footwear
Nashville, TN
$149
Nosara
$120 19.3% $29
Getting Around
Nashville, TN
$86
Nosara
$87 1.3% $1.1
Sport & Entertainment
Nashville, TN
$84
Nosara
$87 3.3% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,958 in Nashville, TN and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nashville, TN pays 440% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $84.0 in Nashville, TN vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $434 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Nashville, TN
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
04:48 4:48 AM
03:48 3:48 AM
1 h behind Nashville, TN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
689,447
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nashville, TN Nosara 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Nashville, TN
  • 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
Nashville, TN vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Nashville, TN and in Nosara?
Nashville, TN and Nosara differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($2,837 vs $1,837 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Nashville, TN or Nosara?
Average pay runs 440% higher in Nashville, TN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Nashville, TN and in Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,958 in Nashville, TN versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nashville, TN and Nosara?
Childcare runs $1,469 in Nashville, TN versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Nashville, TN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,837 in Nashville, TN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Nashville, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Nashville, TN and Nosara?
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.
Is Nashville, TN or Nosara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Nashville, TN 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.
Where should expats move: Nashville, TN or Nosara?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Nashville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Nashville, TN vs other spots: cost of living compared

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