Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Athens, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens, OH: $1,644 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Athens, OH
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Athens, OH Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Athens, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Athens, OH

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 Athens, OH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,644 in Athens, OH.

Nosara $1,839
Athens, OH $1,644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,493 in Athens, OH.

Nosara $2,828
Athens, OH $2,493

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,342 in Athens, OH.

Nosara $3,818
Athens, OH $3,342

Living in Nosara is roughly 12% more expensive than in Athens, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Athens, OH 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$15.15 $15.15

-18.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$49.45 $49.45

23.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.80 $9.80

-23.27%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.03 $5.03

-12.33%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.24 $2.24

-22.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.45 $1.45

-9.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.99 $4.99

-34.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.20 $7.20

-37.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.74 $0.74

110.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.11 $2.11

43.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.99 $2.99

-16.05%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.18 $4.18

-14.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.02 $13.02

-42.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$8.94 $8.94

17.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$15.91 $15.91

-12.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.70 $3.70

-36.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.96 $0.96

67.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.75 $2.75

74.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.10 $3.10

-48.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.61 $1.61

136.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.13 $2.13

73.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.64 $1.64

-31.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.92 $1.92

38.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$8.97 $8.97

-42.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.71 $14.71

35.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.13 $2.13

36.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.98 $2.98

21.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.01 $1.01

10.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.83 $3.83

-44.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.23 $1.23

27.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$25.28 $25.28

-66.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.89 $0.89

70.79%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.2K $36.2K

-40.24%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.4K $25.4K

35.82%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$148 $148

-34.81%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$30.29 $30.29

18.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$47.65 $47.65

12.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.84 $11.84

-33.36%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,453 $1,453

-65.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$19.7K $19.7K

-39.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$45.49 $45.49

18.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$45.13 $45.13

22.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$63.9 $63.9

22.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$107 $107

-25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,282 $1,282

-38.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$674 $674

17.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,459 $1,459

170.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,228 $1,228

15.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,674 $1,674

312.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,664 $1,664

-26.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,467 $3,467

-75.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.59

30.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Athens, OH: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Athens, OH

$674 41% 15.2% $121

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Athens, OH

$324 19.7% 8% $28

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Athens, OH

$265 16.1% 25.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Athens, OH

$226 13.7% 21.5% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Athens, OH

$118 7.2% 1.9% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Athens, OH

$24 * 1.4% 72.9% $64

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Athens, OH

$14 * 0.9% 83.9% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,282 in Athens, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens, OH pays 301% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $49.00 in Athens, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $324 per month, with Athens, OH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Athens, OH

🕒 Local time

14:23 2:23 PM

16:23 4:23 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

115,452

💱 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 Athens, OH 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Athens, OH

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 Athens, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens, OH is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 301% lower in Athens, OH. 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 $1,282 in Athens, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,644 in Athens, OH – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,644 in Athens, OH versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Athens, OH but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Athens, OH the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Athens, OH is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Athens, OH 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 Athens, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.