Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ashburn, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,327 in Ashburn, VA, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 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
163

Cost of Living Index in Ashburn, VA
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Ashburn, VA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Ashburn, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,327 in Ashburn, VA.

Nosara $1,839
Ashburn, VA $3,327

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $4,551 in Ashburn, VA.

Nosara $2,828
Ashburn, VA $4,551

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $5,776 in Ashburn, VA.

Nosara $3,818
Ashburn, VA $5,776

Living in Nosara costs roughly 45% less than in Ashburn, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Ashburn, VA 146% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$28.37 $28.37

-56.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$89.4 $89.4

-31.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$13.16 $13.16

-42.86%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$6.11 $6.11

-27.82%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.98 $2.98

-41.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.68 $2.68

-51.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$8.06 $8.06

-59.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$9.95 $9.95

-55.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.13 $1.13

38.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$4.10 $4.10

-26.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$5.25 $5.25

-52.19%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$5.60 $5.60

-36.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$16.93 $16.93

-56.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$15.24 $15.24

-30.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$18.88 $18.88

-26.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.59 $5.59

-57.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.24 $2.24

-28.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$6.49 $6.49

-26.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.92 $5.92

-72.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.88 $2.88

31.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.96 $3.96

-6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.27 $2.27

-50.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.76 $2.76

-3.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$9.81 $9.81

-47.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$16.11 $16.11

23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.26 $2.26

28.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.54 $4.54

-20.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.21 $2.21

-49.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$73.0 $73.0

-0.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.96 $2.96

-27.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.47 $1.47

6.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$22.68 $22.68

-62.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.99 $0.99

53.54%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.7K $35.7K

-39.43%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.3K $25.3K

36.31%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$161 $161

-40.09%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$68.0 $68.0

-47.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$77.6 $77.6

-30.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$62.2 $62.2

15.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$11.99 $11.99

191.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$17.98 $17.98

-56.12%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,641 $1,641

-69.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$31.8K $31.8K

-62.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$53.7 $53.7

0.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$44.74 $44.74

23.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$100 $100

-22.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$127 $127

-37.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,980 $1,980

-60.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,773 $1,773

-55.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$4,102 $4,102

-3.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,246 $2,246

-36.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,006 $3,006

129.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,079 $3,079

-60.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$7,570 $7,570

-88.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.82

26.39%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ashburn, VA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Ashburn, VA

$1.8K 53.3% 123% $979

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Ashburn, VA

$488 14.7% 38.4% $135

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Ashburn, VA

$423 12.7% 99.5% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Ashburn, VA

$306 9.2% 64.9% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Ashburn, VA

$147 4.4% 22.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ashburn, VA

$98 3% 12.3% $11

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Ashburn, VA

$92 2.8% 5.8% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,980 in Ashburn, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashburn, VA pays 777% 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 $89.0 in Ashburn, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $488 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Ashburn, VA

🕒 Local time

11:38 11:38 AM

13:38 1:38 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

43,511

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Ashburn, VA 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Nosara and Ashburn, VA differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $3,327 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 777% lower in Ashburn, 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 $1,980 in Ashburn, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $1,641 in Ashburn, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Ashburn, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,327 in Ashburn, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Ashburn, 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 Ashburn, 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 81% less than in Ashburn, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.