Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newton, IA and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Newton, IA and in Nosara: $1,921 and $1,835 a month, rent and utilities included.

93

Cost of Living Index in Newton, IA
Learn more

Newton, IA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Newton, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,921

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,921 per month in Newton, IA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Newton, IA $1,921
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,851 per month in Newton, IA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Newton, IA $2,851
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,780 per month in Newton, IA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Newton, IA $3,780
Nosara $3,814

Newton, IA costs about 5% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Newton, IA and Nosara sit above the global median – Newton, IA by 42%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$12.34 ₡5,535

59.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.6 $61.6

$61.3 ₡27.5K

0.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 $10.62

$7.76 ₡3,481

36.86%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$4.44 ₡1,992

11.49%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$1.79 ₡803

45.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.29 ₡580

48.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.24 ₡1,451

57.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 $7.61

$4.43 ₡1,985

71.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.55 ₡696

-41.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.08 ₡1,380

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.53 ₡1,133

67.59%

Eggs

$2.74 $2.74

$3.45 ₡1,546

-20.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$7.32 ₡3,284

-8.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.62 $12.62

$10.24 ₡4,594

23.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.80 $16.80

$14.10 ₡6,326

19.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.29 ₡1,027

134.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.64 ₡737

25.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.79 ₡2,149

-1.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.64 ₡735

164.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.85 ₡1,727

-51.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.75 ₡1,681

-22.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.09 ₡488

83.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.59 ₡1,160

10.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.19 $9.19

$5.12 ₡2,295

79.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 $9.90

$19.92 ₡8,931

-50.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.80 ₡1,255

-35.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 $5.84

$3.52 ₡1,580

65.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.22 ₡549

79.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.17 ₡973

39.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.56 ₡698

-10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.81 $24.81

$8.67 ₡3,886

186.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.55 ₡697

-32.26%

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

$32.1K $32.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-7.05%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-36.72%

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

$182 $182

$94.8 ₡42.5K

91.48%

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

$62.8 $62.8

$36.15 ₡16.2K

73.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$53.1 ₡23.8K

26.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 $73.8

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 $14.78

$7.91 ₡3,548

86.85%

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

$998 $998

$490 ₡219.9K

103.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

64.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.97 $17.97

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-67.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.75 $14.75

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-73.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 $80.8

$80.4 ₡36.0K

0.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 $99.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

27.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 $842

$801 ₡359.1K

5.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 $707

$790 ₡354.1K

-10.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 $1,443

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-63.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 $1,147

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-18.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,734 $2,734

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-61.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 $2,560

$1,236 ₡554.3K

107.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Newton, IA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newton, IA

$707 36.8%

Nosara

$790 43% 11.6% $82

Groceries & Markets

Newton, IA

$377 19.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 7.2% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newton, IA

$311 16.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 40.9% $127

Eating Out

Newton, IA

$308 16%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 30.8% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Newton, IA

$103 5.4%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 13.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Newton, IA

$96 5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 26.3% $25

Getting Around

Newton, IA

$19 * 1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 373% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $842 in Newton, IA versus $801 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Newton, IA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newton, IA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

1 h behind Newton, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,146

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Newton, IA Nosara 3,600 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Newton, IA
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

Newton, IA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Newton, IA is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,881 per month in Newton, IA and $2,753 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 $62.0 in Newton, IA 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 8% more in Newton, IA, 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 $1,835, than in Newton, IA at $1,921. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newton, IA 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, Newton, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.