Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Bern, NC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,072 in New Bern, NC, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in New Bern, NC
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New Bern, NC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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New Bern, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,072

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,072 per month in New Bern, NC vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

New Bern, NC $2,072
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,290 per month in New Bern, NC vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

New Bern, NC $3,290
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,507 per month in New Bern, NC vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

New Bern, NC $4,507
Nosara $3,712

New Bern, NC costs about 13% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New Bern, NC and Nosara sit above the global median – New Bern, NC by 55%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 $18.21

$12.22 ₡5,509

49.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 $84.0

$60.2 ₡27.1K

39.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 $12.02

$7.54 ₡3,399

59.42%

Cappuccino

$5.28 $5.28

$4.31 ₡1,941

22.51%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.72 ₡773

70.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.35 ₡608

79.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.24 ₡1,459

83.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$4.48 ₡2,018

56.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.57 ₡707

-43.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.17 ₡1,429

5.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.42 ₡1,091

111.98%

Eggs

$3.48 $3.48

$3.57 ₡1,609

-2.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 $12.99

$7.43 ₡3,349

74.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.75 $10.75

$10.42 ₡4,697

3.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.38 $15.38

$13.66 ₡6,156

12.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.32 ₡1,044

128.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.61 ₡728

-22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$4.74 ₡2,138

-41.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$1.66 ₡747

239.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.72 ₡1,679

-24.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.57 ₡1,611

-19.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.10 ₡497

73.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.55 ₡1,149

-10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.47 $7.47

$4.95 ₡2,232

50.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 $12.94

$20.01 ₡9,020

-35.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.79 ₡1,256

-35.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$3.53 ₡1,589

-40.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.24 ₡1,011

53.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.55 ₡701

41.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.13 $32.13

$8.86 ₡3,993

262.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.57 ₡708

-47.77%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

28.19%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-32.90%

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

$158 $158

$93.5 ₡42.1K

69.47%

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

$73.5 $73.5

$35.11 ₡15.8K

109.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.8 $69.8

$51.5 ₡23.2K

35.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 $55.5

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-22.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 $11.43

$7.84 ₡3,535

45.79%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$53.5 ₡24.1K

11.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.16 $35.16

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-36.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 $83.8

$79.3 ₡35.7K

5.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 $87.0

$78.9 ₡35.6K

10.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 $1,180

$786 ₡354.3K

50.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 $887

$780 ₡351.6K

13.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,178 $2,178

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-43.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 $1,877

$1,407 ₡634.4K

33.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,058 $2,058

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-70.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,043 $2,043

$1,201 ₡541.3K

70.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,738 $3,738

$876 ₡395.0K

326.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

8.62

-24.48%

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

Last update for New Bern, NC: 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

New Bern, NC

$887 42.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 12% $107

Groceries & Markets

New Bern, NC

$377 18.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 7.3% $28

Eating Out

New Bern, NC

$310 14.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 32.5% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Bern, NC

$302 14.5%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 40.3% $122

Clothing & Footwear

New Bern, NC

$120 5.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 0.6% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

New Bern, NC

$78 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 11.1% $8.7

Getting Around

New Bern, NC

$14 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 504% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,180 in New Bern, NC 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 327% higher in New Bern, NC, 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 $84.0 in New Bern, NC versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Bern, NC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:34 11:34 AM

09:34 9:34 AM

2 h behind New Bern, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,291

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

New Bern, NC Nosara 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New Bern, NC
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

New Bern, NC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New Bern, NC is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,108 per month in New Bern, NC 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.

Groceries cost about 8% more in New Bern, NC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in New Bern, NC and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in New Bern, NC at $2,072. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Bern, NC 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, New Bern, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.