Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Alice Springs

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Alice Springs: $1,837 and $1,828 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Alice Springs
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Alice Springs Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Alice Springs

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 Alice Springs actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,828 in Alice Springs.

Nosara $1,837
Alice Springs $1,828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $2,745 in Alice Springs.

Nosara $2,775
Alice Springs $2,745

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $3,662 in Alice Springs.

Nosara $3,712
Alice Springs $3,662

Living in Nosara is roughly 1% more expensive than in Alice Springs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Alice Springs 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$17.52 A$25.16

-30.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$83.1 A$119

-27.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.85 A$15.59

-30.51%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.14 A$5.95

4.11%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.84 A$4.08

-39.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.82 A$4.05

-52.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$6.62 A$9.50

-51.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$9.67 A$13.90

-53.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.45 A$2.09

8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.13 A$3.07

48.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.82 A$2.61

32.97%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$5.33 A$7.66

-33.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.11 A$11.64

-8.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$8.29 A$11.91

25.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$14.27 A$20.50

-4.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.83 A$5.50

-39.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$3.10 A$4.45

-48.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.50 A$3.58

89.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$6.85 A$9.84

-75.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.50 A$3.60

48.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.41 A$3.46

48.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.41 A$3.46

-54.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$2.37 A$3.41

7.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$29.01 A$41.67

-82.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$13.78 A$19.80

45.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$3.35 A$4.81

-16.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$5.69 A$8.18

-37.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.77 A$3.98

-57.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$91.1 A$131

-20.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$5.02 A$7.21

-55.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.64 A$2.36

-5.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$27.71 A$39.81

-68.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.30 A$1.87

20.77%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$37.7K A$54.1K

-42.12%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$23.4K A$33.6K

48.22%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$208 A$299

-55.12%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$27.26 A$39.16

28.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$45.55 A$65.4

13.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$56.8 A$81.6

25.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$17.66 A$25.37

100.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$13.86 A$19.91

-43.43%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$1,910 A$2,744

-74.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$20.6K A$29.6K

-42.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$72.2 A$104

-25.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$12.26 A$17.61

354.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$137 A$197

-42.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$123 A$176

-35.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,393 A$2,001

-43.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$519 A$745

50.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,290 A$1,853

199.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$758 A$1,089

85.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$4,528 A$6,504

53.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$4,795 A$6,888

-74.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$4,404 A$6,326

-80.10%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Alice Springs: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Alice Springs

$519 28.6% 33.5% $261

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Alice Springs

$361 19.9% 3.3% $12

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Alice Springs

$297 16.4% 42% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Alice Springs

$281 15.5% 56.1% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Alice Springs

$155 8.6% 28.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Alice Springs

$85 4.7% 2.9% $2.5

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Alice Springs

$115 6.4% 32.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $1,393 in Alice Springs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 403% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $83.0 in Alice Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $361 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇺 Alice Springs

🕒 Local time

20:57 8:57 PM

12:27 12:27 PM

15 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

24,855

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Alice Springs 15,560 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Alice Springs

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 Alice Springs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alice Springs wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alice Springs the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 403% lower in Alice Springs. 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: $786 in Nosara versus $1,393 in Alice Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Alice Springs – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,828 in Alice Springs versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alice Springs but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Alice Springs the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alice Springs delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,828 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alice Springs hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Alice Springs 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 Alice Springs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.