Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Alexandria, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,249 in Alexandria, VA, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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
160

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, VA
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Alexandria, VA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Alexandria, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,249

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Alexandria, VA

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 Alexandria, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,249 in Alexandria, VA.

Nosara $1,839
Alexandria, VA $3,249

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $4,722 in Alexandria, VA.

Nosara $2,828
Alexandria, VA $4,722

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $6,195 in Alexandria, VA.

Nosara $3,818
Alexandria, VA $6,195

Living in Nosara costs roughly 43% less than in Alexandria, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Alexandria, VA 141% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$20.18 $20.18

-38.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$103 $103

-40.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.83 $11.83

-36.43%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.52 $4.52

-2.43%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.73 $2.73

-36.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.25 $2.25

-41.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.58 $6.58

-50.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$8.86 $8.86

-49.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.18 $1.18

32.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.88 $3.88

-22.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.80 $3.80

-33.95%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.53 $4.53

-21.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$16.40 $16.40

-54.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$15.22 $15.22

-30.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$20.04 $20.04

-30.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.10 $6.10

-61.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.34 $1.34

20.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$7.55 $7.55

-36.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$7.84 $7.84

-79.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.14 $2.14

77.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.61 $2.61

41.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.73 $2.73

-58.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.44 $2.44

9.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$9.34 $9.34

-44.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.35 $14.35

38.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.75 $1.75

65.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.66 $3.66

-0.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.07 $3.07

-63.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$51.5 $51.5

41.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.08 $4.08

-47.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.98 $1.98

-20.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$25.13 $25.13

-66.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.02 $1.02

49.02%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.8K $36.8K

-41.21%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.6K $25.6K

34.73%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$240 $240

-59.95%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$53.7 $53.7

-33.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$77.2 $77.2

-30.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$72.4 $72.4

-1.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$18.33 $18.33

-56.96%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$2,034 $2,034

-75.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$65.5K $65.5K

-81.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$48.10 $48.10

12.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$47.90 $47.90

15.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$122 $122

-35.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$134 $134

-40.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$2,315 $2,315

-65.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,737 $1,737

-54.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$3,390 $3,390

16.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,776 $2,776

-48.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$6,743 $6,743

2.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$4,049 $4,049

-69.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$5,951 $5,951

-85.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.64

29.82%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alexandria, VA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Alexandria, VA

$1.7K 53.5% 119% $943

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Alexandria, VA

$474 14.6% 34.5% $122

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Alexandria, VA

$322 9.9% 51.9% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Alexandria, VA

$371 11.4% 99.9% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Alexandria, VA

$158 4.9% 31.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Alexandria, VA

$109 3.4% 24.8% $22

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Alexandria, VA

$78 2.4% 10.8% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $2,315 in Alexandria, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alexandria, VA pays 589% 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 $103 in Alexandria, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $474 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Alexandria, VA

🕒 Local time

17:26 5:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

160,035

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Alexandria, VA 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Alexandria, VA

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 Alexandria, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Alexandria, VA differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $3,249 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 589% lower in Alexandria, VA. 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 $2,315 in Alexandria, VA. 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 $3,249 in Alexandria, VA – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 41% less than in Alexandria, VA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,249 in Alexandria, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Alexandria, VA. 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 Alexandria, VA 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 77% less than in Alexandria, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.