Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Albert Lea, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Albert Lea, MN
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Albert Lea, MN Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Albert Lea, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Albert Lea, MN

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 Albert Lea, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN.

Nosara $1,835
Albert Lea, MN $1,944

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $2,969 in Albert Lea, MN.

Nosara $2,825
Albert Lea, MN $2,969

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $3,995 in Albert Lea, MN.

Nosara $3,814
Albert Lea, MN $3,995

Living in Nosara costs roughly 6% less than in Albert Lea, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Albert Lea, MN 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$20.02 $20.02

-38.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$102 $102

-39.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.92 $11.92

-34.90%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$6.29 $6.29

-29.41%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$3.06 $3.06

-41.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.56 $2.56

-49.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$4.88 $4.88

-33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.69 $5.69

-22.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.92 $0.92

68.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.93 $2.93

5.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.17 $2.17

16.59%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.90 $3.90

-11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$8.84 $8.84

-17.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$16.56 $16.56

-38.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$18.96 $18.96

-25.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.40 $5.40

-57.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.50 $1.50

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.89 $4.89

-2.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$3.72 $3.72

-55.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.73 $2.73

41.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.22 $2.22

68.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.70 $2.70

-59.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.30 $2.30

12.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$9.92 $9.92

-48.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$15.24 $15.24

30.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.74 $1.74

60.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.39 $3.39

3.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.09 $2.09

-41.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.95 $1.95

11.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.28 $1.28

21.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$20.31 $20.31

-57.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.94 $0.94

64.89%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.7K $26.7K

29.53%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$25.6K $25.6K

51.37%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$185 $185

-48.65%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$53.4 $53.4

-32.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$79.6 $79.6

-33.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$39.66 $39.66

86.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$9.82 $9.82

-19.45%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,350 $1,350

-63.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.9K $11.9K

-0.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$45.76 $45.76

19.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$24.54 $24.54

127.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$50.6 $50.6

58.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$59.6 $59.6

30.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,030 $1,030

-22.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$739 $739

6.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,586 $1,586

152.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,188 $1,188

18.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,942 $2,942

140.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,028 $2,028

-39.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$2,957 $2,957

-70.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.57

31.20%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Albert Lea, MN: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Albert Lea, MN

$739 38% 6.4% $50

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Albert Lea, MN

$400 20.6% 14.4% $50

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Albert Lea, MN

$330 17% 55% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Albert Lea, MN

$318 16.3% 72.6% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Albert Lea, MN

$81 4.2% 32.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Albert Lea, MN

$59 3.1% 33.8% $30

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Albert Lea, MN

$17 * 0.9% 81.2% $72

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 $801 in Nosara and $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albert Lea, MN pays 234% 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 $102 in Albert Lea, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $400 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Albert Lea, MN

🕒 Local time

03:28 3:28 AM

04:28 4:28 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

17,758

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Albert Lea, MN 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Albert Lea, MN

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 Albert Lea, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Albert Lea, MN differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,835 vs $1,944 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 234% lower in Albert Lea, MN. 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: $801 in Nosara versus $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $1,350 in Albert Lea, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $102 in Albert Lea, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Albert Lea, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Albert Lea, MN 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 6% less than in Albert Lea, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.