Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North East, MD and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,506 in North East, MD, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in North East, MD
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North East, MD Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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North East, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,506

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,506 in North East, MD versus $1,835 in Nosara.

North East, MD $2,506
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,589 in North East, MD versus $2,825 in Nosara.

North East, MD $3,589
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,672 in North East, MD versus $3,814 in Nosara.

North East, MD $4,672
Nosara $3,814

Living in North East, MD is roughly 37% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: North East, MD 85% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.08 $15.08

$12.34 ₡5,535

22.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$61.3 ₡27.5K

21.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 $10.23

$7.76 ₡3,481

31.83%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$4.44 ₡1,992

18.02%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$1.79 ₡803

30.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.29 ₡580

35.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 $6.90

$3.24 ₡1,451

112.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 $4.47

$4.43 ₡1,985

0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.55 ₡696

-24.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.08 ₡1,380

-4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.53 ₡1,133

5.93%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$3.45 ₡1,546

10.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 $9.38

$7.32 ₡3,284

28.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.59 $9.59

$10.24 ₡4,594

-6.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.48 $18.48

$14.10 ₡6,326

31.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.29 ₡1,027

102.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.64 ₡737

-19.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.79 ₡2,149

-9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.64 ₡735

143.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.85 ₡1,727

-33.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.75 ₡1,681

-34.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.09 ₡488

133.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.59 ₡1,160

-30.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.99 $13.99

$5.12 ₡2,295

173.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 $14.44

$19.92 ₡8,931

-27.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.80 ₡1,255

-13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.52 ₡1,580

3.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.22 ₡549

85.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.17 ₡973

131.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.56 ₡698

-28.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.07 $23.07

$8.67 ₡3,886

166.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.55 ₡697

-32.26%

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

$33.3K $33.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-3.75%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-34.38%

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

$294 $294

$94.8 ₡42.5K

209.91%

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

$49.39 $49.39

$36.15 ₡16.2K

36.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 $60.8

$53.1 ₡23.8K

14.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.46 $38.46

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-47.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$16.64 $16.64

$7.91 ₡3,548

110.37%

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

$1,948 $1,948

$490 ₡219.9K

297.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K $27.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

133.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 $46.28

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-15.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.54 $39.54

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-29.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$80.4 ₡36.0K

7.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$77.9 ₡34.9K

68.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 $1,767

$801 ₡359.1K

120.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 $1,241

$790 ₡354.1K

57.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-33.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 $1,984

$1,409 ₡632.0K

40.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,643 $2,643

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-62.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 $2,189

$1,236 ₡554.3K

77.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

8.62

-25.06%

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

Last update for North East, MD: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

North East, MD

$1.2K 49.5%

Nosara

$790 43% 36.4% $451

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North East, MD

$404 16.1%

Nosara

$184 10% 54.5% $220

Groceries & Markets

North East, MD

$360 14.4%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 2.8% $10

Eating Out

North East, MD

$274 10.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 22.4% $61

Clothing & Footwear

North East, MD

$137 5.5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 11.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

North East, MD

$72 2.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 24.9% $18

Getting Around

North East, MD

$20 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 352% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,767 in North East, MD and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in North East, MD vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 North East, MD

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

20:12 8:12 PM

2 h behind North East, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,600

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

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Highest

Between locations

North East, MD Nosara 3,430 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

North East, MD
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 East, MD vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in North East, MD. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,760 in North East, MD and $2,753 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,767 in North East, MD versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in North East, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,506 per month in North East, MD versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,506 in North East, MD, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in North East, MD. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, North East, MD 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.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in North East, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.