Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Artesia, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,398 in Artesia, NM, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Artesia, NM
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Artesia, NM Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Artesia, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Artesia, NM

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 Artesia, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Nosara versus $2,398 in Artesia, NM.

Nosara $1,844
Artesia, NM $2,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,817 in Nosara versus $3,235 in Artesia, NM.

Nosara $2,817
Artesia, NM $3,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,790 in Nosara versus $4,071 in Artesia, NM.

Nosara $3,790
Artesia, NM $4,071

Living in Nosara costs roughly 23% less than in Artesia, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Artesia, NM 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,568

$16.23 $16.23

-23.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$47.57 $47.57

27.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$11.84 $11.84

-34.04%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$6.24 $6.24

-29.97%

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

$1.78 ₡800

$2.33 $2.33

-23.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.59 $1.59

-15.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$6.04 $6.04

-43.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,939

$6.99 $6.99

-38.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$0.82 $0.82

89.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,425

$2.88 $2.88

10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,130

$2.47 $2.47

1.62%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.40 $3.40

3.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,313

$11.83 $11.83

-37.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,703

$11.56 $11.56

-9.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,255

$12.92 $12.92

7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.53 $3.53

-35.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.41 $1.41

10.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$2.50 $2.50

88.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$3.60 $3.60

-55.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,746

$2.16 $2.16

79.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$2.73 $2.73

38.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$1.77 $1.77

-39.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$1.64 $1.64

59.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$9.91 $9.91

-47.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,143

$9.34 $9.34

117.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$2.10 $2.10

38.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$4.87 $4.87

-24.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.85 $1.85

-29.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$58.9 $58.9

24.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$1.70 $1.70

28.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡829

$1.36 $1.36

35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$26.83 $26.83

-70.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$0.96 $0.96

62.50%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$27.0K $27.0K

23.86%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$25.7K $25.7K

48.12%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$147 $147

-34.91%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$72.1 $72.1

-50.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$66.9 $66.9

-19.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$40.20 $40.20

67.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$7.79 $7.79

-0.90%

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

$496 ₡222.8K

$696 $696

-28.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.9K $11.9K

-0.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$37.18 $37.18

46.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$36.45 $36.45

50.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$85.4 $85.4

-6.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$81.4 $81.4

-4.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$1,518 $1,518

-46.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.7K

$1,249 $1,249

-35.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$2,107 $2,107

84.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.6K

$1,623 $1,623

-13.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

$2,838 $2,838

145.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.6K

$2,361 $2,361

-48.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.3K

$3,513 $3,513

-74.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.51

32.41%

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

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Last update for Artesia, NM: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Artesia, NM

$1.2K 52.1% 56.1% $449

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Artesia, NM

$324 13.5% 8% $28

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Artesia, NM

$300 12.5% 40.8% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Artesia, NM

$286 11.9% 54.8% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Artesia, NM

$108 4.5% 10.1% $12

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Artesia, NM

$75 3.1% 16.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Artesia, NM

$56 2.3% 32.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $817 in Nosara and $1,518 in Artesia, NM. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Artesia, NM pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Nosara vs $48 in Artesia, NM for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $324 per month, with Artesia, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Artesia, NM

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

16,522

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Artesia, NM 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Artesia, NM

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 Artesia, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Artesia, NM. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Nosara. 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: $817 in Nosara versus $1,518 in Artesia, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $496 in Nosara versus $696 in Artesia, NM. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Artesia, NM pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Nosara wins on affordability, Artesia, NM on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.