Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Charleston, SC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,982 in North Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in North Charleston, SC
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North Charleston, SC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,982

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,982 per month in North Charleston, SC vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

North Charleston, SC $2,982
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,326 per month in North Charleston, SC vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

North Charleston, SC $4,326
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,670 per month in North Charleston, SC vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

North Charleston, SC $5,670
Nosara $3,712

North Charleston, SC costs about 62% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both North Charleston, SC and Nosara sit above the global median – North Charleston, SC by 123%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.30 $20.30

$12.22 ₡5,509

66.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 $91.6

$60.2 ₡27.1K

52.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 $12.16

$7.54 ₡3,399

61.27%

Cappuccino

$5.92 $5.92

$4.31 ₡1,941

37.35%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.72 ₡773

70.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.35 ₡608

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 $6.01

$3.24 ₡1,459

85.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.48 ₡2,018

79.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.57 ₡707

-35.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.17 ₡1,429

13.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.42 ₡1,091

91.32%

Eggs

$5.10 $5.10

$3.57 ₡1,609

42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 $7.00

$7.43 ₡3,349

-5.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.45 $14.45

$10.42 ₡4,697

38.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.60 $20.60

$13.66 ₡6,156

50.81%

Apples (1kg)

$8.18 $8.18

$2.32 ₡1,044

252.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.61 ₡728

11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$4.74 ₡2,138

9.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$1.66 ₡747

279.52%

Potato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.72 ₡1,679

18.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.57 ₡1,611

-10.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.10 ₡497

137.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.55 ₡1,149

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 $9.64

$4.95 ₡2,232

94.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 $15.76

$20.01 ₡9,020

-21.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.79 ₡1,256

-20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.53 ₡1,589

-15.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.19 ₡537

110.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.6 $50.6

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-29.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.24 ₡1,011

30.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.55 ₡701

-18.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.69 $32.69

$8.86 ₡3,993

268.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.57 ₡708

-36.94%

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

$34.9K $34.9K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

60.01%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-27.24%

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

$225 $225

$93.5 ₡42.1K

140.63%

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

$76.4 $76.4

$35.11 ₡15.8K

117.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 $83.6

$51.5 ₡23.2K

62.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.20 $17.20

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-75.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 $13.91

$7.84 ₡3,535

77.42%

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

$930 $930

$490 ₡220.7K

89.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

54.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.0 $66.0

$53.5 ₡24.1K

23.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.41 $44.41

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-20.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$79.3 ₡35.7K

41.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$78.9 ₡35.6K

66.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 $2,004

$786 ₡354.3K

155.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 $1,486

$780 ₡351.6K

90.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,465 $2,465

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-36.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 $2,393

$1,407 ₡634.4K

70.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,865 $2,865

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-58.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,896 $2,896

$1,201 ₡541.3K

141.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,375 $4,375

$876 ₡395.0K

399.29%

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 North Charleston, 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

North Charleston, SC

$1.5K 50.7%

Nosara

$780 43% 47.5% $706

Groceries & Markets

North Charleston, SC

$446 15.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 21.6% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Charleston, SC

$385 13.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 53.2% $205

Eating Out

North Charleston, SC

$338 11.5%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 37.9% $128

Clothing & Footwear

North Charleston, SC

$159 5.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 24.5% $39

Getting Around

North Charleston, SC

$70 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 24.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

North Charleston, SC

$45 1.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 93.5% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,004 in North Charleston, 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 399% higher in North Charleston, 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 $92.0 in North Charleston, SC versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $446 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

16:46 4:46 PM

2 h behind North Charleston, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,471

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 →

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Between locations

North Charleston, SC Nosara 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

North Charleston, 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

North Charleston, SC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Charleston, SC costs about 62% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,473 per month in North Charleston, 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.

Groceries cost about 28% more in North Charleston, SC, 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 $92.0 in North Charleston, SC 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 North Charleston, SC at $2,982. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in North Charleston, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $2,982 in North Charleston, SC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, North Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.