Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Little Rock, AR and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,560 in North Little Rock, AR, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

North Little Rock, AR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,560
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,560 per month in North Little Rock, AR vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • North Little Rock, AR $2,560
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,762 per month in North Little Rock, AR vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • North Little Rock, AR $3,762
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,964 per month in North Little Rock, AR vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • North Little Rock, AR $4,964
  • Nosara $3,818

North Little Rock, AR costs about 39% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both North Little Rock, AR and Nosara sit above the global median – North Little Rock, AR by 90%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
North Little Rock, AR
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.13 $19.13
$12.35 ₡5,556
54.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.8 $74.8
$61.2 ₡27.5K
22.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.17 $11.17
$7.52 ₡3,383
48.54%
Cappuccino
$5.10 $5.10
$4.41 ₡1,984
15.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 $2.59
$1.74 ₡782
48.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.31 ₡589
56.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.15 $6.15
$3.28 ₡1,475
87.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.02 $7.02
$4.47 ₡2,010
57.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
North Little Rock, AR
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.56 ₡703
-35.26%
White Bread (500g)
$3.42 $3.42
$3.02 ₡1,359
13.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$2.51 ₡1,129
75.70%
Eggs
$4.09 $4.09
$3.57 ₡1,608
14.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.50 $12.50
$7.43 ₡3,344
68.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.62 $11.62
$10.52 ₡4,732
10.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.58 $15.58
$13.97 ₡6,284
11.52%
Apples (1kg)
$4.81 $4.81
$2.35 ₡1,055
104.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 $1.59
$1.61 ₡722
-1.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.32 $4.32
$4.80 ₡2,159
-10.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.62 $4.62
$1.61 ₡726
186.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.91 $2.91
$3.80 ₡1,708
-23.42%
Onion (1kg)
$2.81 $2.81
$3.69 ₡1,662
-23.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.11 $2.11
$1.13 ₡508
86.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$2.66 ₡1,195
-17.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.69 $9.69
$5.18 ₡2,328
87.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.22 $14.22
$19.88 ₡8,944
-28.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 $1.80
$2.90 ₡1,304
-37.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 $3.30
$3.63 ₡1,631
-9.09%
🚌 Getting Around
North Little Rock, AR
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.12 ₡506
83.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.7K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.47 $3.47
$2.14 ₡961
62.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.57 ₡706
5.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.36 $29.36
$8.52 ₡3,835
244.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.89 $0.89
$1.52 ₡684
-41.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K $29.1K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
34.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-25.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
North Little Rock, AR
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$96.3 ₡43.3K
94.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$52.3 $52.3
$35.89 ₡16.1K
45.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.0 $68.0
$53.6 ₡24.1K
26.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
North Little Rock, AR
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.86 $43.86
$71.6 ₡32.2K
-38.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.29 $13.29
$7.89 ₡3,550
68.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
North Little Rock, AR
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,315 $1,315
$494 ₡222.3K
166.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.2K $23.2K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
95.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
North Little Rock, AR
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.3 $50.3
$53.9 ₡24.3K
-6.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.56 $40.56
$55.4 ₡24.9K
-26.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 $87.0
$77.9 ₡35.1K
11.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 $113
$79.6 ₡35.8K
42.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
North Little Rock, AR
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,618 $1,618
$788 ₡354.5K
105.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,332 $1,332
$794 ₡357.3K
67.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 $2,603
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-33.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,238 $2,238
$1,419 ₡638.4K
57.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,791 $2,791
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-59.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,474 $2,474
$1,224 ₡550.7K
102.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
North Little Rock, AR
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡388.5K
-
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 North Little Rock, AR: 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
North Little Rock, AR
$1.3K
Nosara
$794 40.3% $537
Groceries & Markets
North Little Rock, AR
$388
Nosara
$352 9.1% $35
Eating Out
North Little Rock, AR
$311
Nosara
$212 31.9% $99
Monthly Utilities & Internet
North Little Rock, AR
$308
Nosara
$186 39.7% $122
Clothing & Footwear
North Little Rock, AR
$131
Nosara
$120 8.4% $11
Sport & Entertainment
North Little Rock, AR
$70
Nosara
$87 24% $17
Getting Around
North Little Rock, AR
$20 *
Nosara
$87 336% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,618 in North Little Rock, AR 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in North Little Rock, AR versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 North Little Rock, AR
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
08:02 8:02 AM
07:02 7:02 AM
1 h behind North Little Rock, AR
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
64,591
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • North Little Rock, AR Nosara 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • North Little Rock, AR
  • 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 Little Rock, AR vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than North Little Rock, AR?
Yes – North Little Rock, AR is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,840 per month in North Little Rock, AR and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in North Little Rock, AR or in Nosara?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in North Little Rock, AR and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in North Little Rock, AR and in Nosara?
Groceries cost about 10% more in North Little Rock, AR, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in North Little Rock, AR or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in North Little Rock, AR at $2,560. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in North Little Rock, AR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is North Little Rock, AR or Nosara more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, North Little Rock, AR or Nosara?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, North Little Rock, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

North Little Rock, AR vs other spots: cost of living compared

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