Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Albany

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,486 in Albany, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Albany
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Albany Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Albany

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,486

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Albany

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Albany actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,486 in Albany.

Nosara $1,839
Albany $2,486

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,609 in Albany.

Nosara $2,828
Albany $3,609

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,732 in Albany.

Nosara $3,818
Albany $4,732

Living in Nosara costs roughly 26% less than in Albany, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Albany 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$19.51 A$28.07

-36.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$84.9 A$122

-27.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.11 A$14.54

-25.62%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.33 A$6.22

1.85%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.49 A$3.58

-30.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.03 A$2.92

-35.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$8.50 A$12.24

-61.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.55 A$10.87

-40.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.55 A$2.23

0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.69 A$3.88

12.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.14 A$3.08

17.29%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$5.19 A$7.47

-31.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.46 A$15.05

-28.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.32 A$13.41

12.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.64 A$18.18

10.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.07 A$5.85

-42.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.13 A$4.51

-48.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.75 A$5.39

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.53 A$6.52

-64.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.71 A$3.90

40.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.35 A$3.38

57.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.12 A$3.05

-46.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.38 A$1.99

92.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$42.14 A$60.6

-87.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.68 A$21.13

35.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$4.44 A$6.40

-34.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$5.93 A$8.53

-38.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.95 A$4.25

-62.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$79.8 A$115

-8.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.98 A$4.29

-28.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.56 A$2.24

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$35.56 A$51.2

-76.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.19 A$1.71

27.73%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$25.6K A$36.9K

-15.63%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.5K A$48.1K

3.18%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$202 A$290

-52.22%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$27.79 A$39.99

29.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$48.77 A$70.2

9.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$53.4 A$76.9

33.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.39 A$25.03

100.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$14.90 A$21.43

-47.05%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$2,234 A$3,215

-77.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$20.4K A$29.3K

-41.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$77.9 A$112

-30.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$50.4 A$72.5

9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$116 A$167

-32.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$112 A$161

-28.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,194 A$1,718

-33.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,182 A$1,701

-32.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,181 A$3,139

80.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,789 A$2,574

-20.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$5,564 A$8,006

24.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$4,761 A$6,851

-74.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,598 A$3,738

-66.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.84

47.60%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Albany: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Albany

$1.2K 47.6% 48.8% $388

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Albany

$366 14.7% 3.8% $14

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Albany

$314 12.6% 48.2% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Albany

$278 11.2% 49.7% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Albany

$160 6.4% 33.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Albany

$83 3.4% 4.7% $4.2

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Albany

$102 4.1% 17.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,194 in Albany. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albany pays 201% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $85.0 in Albany for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $366 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇺 Albany

🕒 Local time

09:42 9:42 AM

23:42 11:42 PM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

31,128

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Albany 16,350 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Albany

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

Nosara vs Albany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Albany. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 201% lower in Albany. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,194 in Albany. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $2,486 in Albany – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 10% less than in Albany. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,486 in Albany, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Albany. 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 $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Albany 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 35% less than in Albany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.