Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Apple Valley, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Apple Valley, MN
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Apple Valley, MN Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Apple Valley, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Apple Valley, 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 Apple Valley, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Apple Valley, MN $2,529

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,697 in Apple Valley, MN, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Apple Valley, MN $3,697

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,864 in Apple Valley, MN, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Apple Valley, MN $4,864

Nosara is about 27% cheaper than Apple Valley, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Apple Valley, MN sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Apple Valley, MN by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$20.26 $20.26

-39.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$74.1 $74.1

-17.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.15 $11.15

-32.56%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$6.16 $6.16

-28.41%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.76 $2.76

-36.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.34 $2.34

-44.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.10 $7.10

-53.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$8.13 $8.13

-45.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.91 $0.91

71.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.14 $3.14

-3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.72 $3.72

-32.53%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.71 $3.71

-3.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.45 $10.45

-28.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$12.21 $12.21

-13.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$18.87 $18.87

-25.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.71 $5.71

-58.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.51 $1.51

6.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.52 $4.52

6.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.04 $5.04

-68.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.25 $2.25

68.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.79 $3.79

-2.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.33 $2.33

-51.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.65 $2.65

0.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.94 $10.94

-52.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.90 $14.90

33.42%

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

$2.94 $2.94

23.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.78 $1.78

-37.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.01 $5.01

-57.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.74 $1.74

-9.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$23.89 $23.89

-64.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.04 $1.04

46.15%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.8K $35.8K

-39.67%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.0K $26.0K

32.89%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$165 $165

-41.57%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$49.02 $49.02

-26.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$58.4 $58.4

-8.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$42.38 $42.38

68.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$14.23 $14.23

-44.55%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,371 $1,371

-63.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$36.6K $36.6K

-67.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$57.8 $57.8

-6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$44.79 $44.79

23.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$74.2 $74.2

5.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$83.5 $83.5

-4.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,491 $1,491

-47.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,307 $1,307

-39.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,476 $2,476

59.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,116 $2,116

-32.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,920 $2,920

136.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,246 $2,246

-45.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.61

30.41%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Apple Valley, MN: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Apple Valley, MN

$1.3K 51.7% 64.5% $512

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Apple Valley, MN

$400 15.8% 13.5% $48

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Apple Valley, MN

$342 13.5% 61.3% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Apple Valley, MN

$272 10.8% 46.5% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Apple Valley, MN

$117 4.6% 2.5% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Apple Valley, MN

$71 2.8% 18.9% $17

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Apple Valley, MN

$21 * 0.8% 76.1% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,491 in Apple Valley, MN. 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $74.0 in Apple Valley, MN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $400 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Apple Valley, MN

🕒 Local time

19:42 7:42 PM

20:42 8:42 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

50,109

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Apple Valley, MN 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Apple Valley, 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 Apple Valley, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,794 in Apple Valley, MN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN. That's a gap of about 38%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $1,371 in Apple Valley, MN. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Apple Valley, MN at $2,529. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Apple Valley, MN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,529 in Apple Valley, MN. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Apple Valley, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.