Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Smyrna Beach, FL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,721 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in New Smyrna Beach, FL
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New Smyrna Beach, FL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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New Smyrna Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,721

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,721 per month in New Smyrna Beach, FL vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

New Smyrna Beach, FL $2,721
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,907 per month in New Smyrna Beach, FL vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

New Smyrna Beach, FL $3,907
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,093 per month in New Smyrna Beach, FL vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

New Smyrna Beach, FL $5,093
Nosara $3,818

New Smyrna Beach, FL costs about 48% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New Smyrna Beach, FL and Nosara sit above the global median – New Smyrna Beach, FL by 102%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 $19.75

$12.35 ₡5,539

59.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

32.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 $11.35

$7.52 ₡3,373

50.93%

Cappuccino

$6.14 $6.14

$4.41 ₡1,978

39.23%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$1.74 ₡780

81.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.31 ₡587

73.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 $6.89

$3.28 ₡1,471

110.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 $6.97

$4.47 ₡2,004

55.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.56 ₡701

-32.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.02 ₡1,355

8.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.51 ₡1,125

-3.98%

Eggs

$4.30 $4.30

$3.57 ₡1,603

20.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.79 $11.79

$7.43 ₡3,333

58.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.63 $9.63

$10.52 ₡4,717

-8.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$13.97 ₡6,265

13.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.35 ₡1,052

145.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.61 ₡720

-8.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$4.80 ₡2,152

-13.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.61 ₡724

182.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.80 ₡1,703

-35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.69 ₡1,657

-20.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.13 ₡507

36.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.66 ₡1,191

-32.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.34 $8.34

$5.18 ₡2,321

61.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.28 $13.28

$19.88 ₡8,916

-33.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.90 ₡1,300

-26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.63 ₡1,626

-20.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.14 ₡958

-28.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.57 ₡703

-26.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 $13.89

$8.52 ₡3,823

63.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.52 ₡682

-37.50%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

24.58%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.95%

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

$191 $191

$96.3 ₡43.2K

98.26%

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

$63.3 $63.3

$35.89 ₡16.1K

76.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

30.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.14 $25.14

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-64.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 $13.43

$7.89 ₡3,539

70.22%

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

$619 $619

$494 ₡221.6K

25.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K $12.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

2.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-1.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.00 $48.00

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-13.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 $86.6

$77.9 ₡34.9K

11.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$79.6 ₡35.7K

44.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 $1,672

$788 ₡353.4K

112.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 $1,503

$794 ₡356.2K

89.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 $2,476

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-37.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,363 $2,363

$1,419 ₡636.5K

66.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,639 $2,639

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-61.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,334 $2,334

$1,224 ₡549.0K

90.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,382 $7,382

$864 ₡387.3K

754.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

8.62

-22.39%

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

Last update for New Smyrna Beach, FL: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$1.5K 55.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 47.2% $709

Groceries & Markets

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$363 13.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$336 12.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 36.9% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$324 11.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 42.6% $138

Clothing & Footwear

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$136 5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 11.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$52 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 68% $35

Getting Around

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$7.4 * 0.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 1084% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,672 in New Smyrna Beach, FL versus $788 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 755% higher in New Smyrna Beach, FL, 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 $81.0 in New Smyrna Beach, FL versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Smyrna Beach, FL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:41 7:41 PM

17:41 5:41 PM

2 h behind New Smyrna Beach, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,142

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

New Smyrna Beach, FL Nosara 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

New Smyrna Beach, FL
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 Smyrna Beach, FL vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,721 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 48% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,081 per month in New Smyrna Beach, FL and $2,758 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in New Smyrna Beach, FL and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in New Smyrna Beach, FL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in New Smyrna Beach, FL at $2,721. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Smyrna Beach, FL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,721 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Smyrna Beach, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.