Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Arlington, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,568 in Arlington, VA, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 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
174

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, VA
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Arlington, VA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Arlington, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,568 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Arlington, VA $3,568

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $5,411 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Arlington, VA $5,411

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $7,255 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Arlington, VA $7,255

Nosara is about 48% cheaper than Arlington, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Arlington, VA sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Arlington, VA by 164%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$23.97 $23.97

-48.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$99.0 $99.0

-38.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.85 $10.85

-30.69%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.97 $5.97

-26.13%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.09 $3.09

-43.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.42 $2.42

-45.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.97 $7.97

-58.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$8.93 $8.93

-49.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.25 $1.25

24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$4.35 $4.35

-30.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$5.46 $5.46

-54.03%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$5.24 $5.24

-31.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$21.58 $21.58

-65.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$15.93 $15.93

-33.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$23.20 $23.20

-39.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.70 $5.70

-58.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.83 $1.83

-12.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.62 $4.62

3.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.87 $5.87

-72.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.21 $3.21

18.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.77 $3.77

-2.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.33 $2.33

-51.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.47 $2.47

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.36 $10.36

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$16.94 $16.94

17.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.89 $2.89

0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.90 $2.90

25.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.79 $2.79

-59.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$122 $122

-40.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.08 $4.08

-47.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.23 $1.23

27.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$25.15 $25.15

-66.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.01 $1.01

50.50%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$34.3K $34.3K

-37.00%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.3K $25.3K

36.69%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$165 $165

-41.68%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$50.7 $50.7

-29.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$60.8 $60.8

-11.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$70.2 $70.2

2.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$18.96 $18.96

84.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$16.37 $16.37

-51.80%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,612 $1,612

-69.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$35.9K $35.9K

-66.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$55.1 $55.1

-2.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$62.6 $62.6

-11.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$103 $103

-24.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$161 $161

-50.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$2,488 $2,488

-68.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,987 $1,987

-60.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$4,810 $4,810

-18.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$3,596 $3,596

-60.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$6,380 $6,380

8.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$4,983 $4,983

-75.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$6,625 $6,625

-86.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Arlington, VA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Arlington, VA

$2K 55.7% 150% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Arlington, VA

$510 14.3% 44.9% $158

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Arlington, VA

$376 10.5% 77.3% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Arlington, VA

$277 7.8% 48.9% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Arlington, VA

$172 4.8% 43.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Arlington, VA

$103 2.9% 17.8% $16

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Arlington, VA

$143 4% 64.6% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $2,488 in Arlington, VA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 667% higher in Arlington, VA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $99.0 in Arlington, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $510 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Arlington, VA

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

19:23 7:23 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

365,438

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Nosara
Arlington, 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 Arlington, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, VA costs about 94% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $5,352 in Arlington, VA. 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.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Arlington, VA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $99.0 in Arlington, VA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Arlington, VA at $3,568. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arlington, VA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $3,568 in Arlington, VA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Arlington, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.