Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Atlantic City, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 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
136

Cost of Living Index in Atlantic City, NJ
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Atlantic City, NJ Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Atlantic City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Atlantic City, NJ

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 Atlantic City, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ.

Nosara $1,835
Atlantic City, NJ $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $4,228 in Atlantic City, NJ.

Nosara $2,825
Atlantic City, NJ $4,228

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $5,635 in Atlantic City, NJ.

Nosara $3,814
Atlantic City, NJ $5,635

Living in Nosara costs roughly 35% less than in Atlantic City, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Atlantic City, NJ 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$19.73 $19.73

-37.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$98.1 $98.1

-37.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.30 $11.30

-31.33%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.43 $5.43

-18.23%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.28 $2.28

-21.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.01 $2.01

-35.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$6.09 $6.09

-46.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$8.78 $8.78

-49.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.24 $1.24

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.38 $3.38

-8.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$7.27 $7.27

-65.20%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$4.21 $4.21

-18.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$11.18 $11.18

-34.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$16.67 $16.67

-38.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$20.14 $20.14

-29.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$7.55 $7.55

-69.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$3.69 $3.69

-55.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$5.41 $5.41

-11.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$5.86 $5.86

-72.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.98 $3.98

-3.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$4.75 $4.75

-21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.54 $2.54

-57.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.45 $2.45

5.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$14.24 $14.24

-64.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$13.27 $13.27

50.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.64 $2.64

6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.38 $3.38

4.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$3.04 $3.04

-59.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$88.3 $88.3

-16.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.99 $2.99

-27.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$2.11 $2.11

-26.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$42.73 $42.73

-79.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.96 $0.96

61.46%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$20.4K $20.4K

69.59%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$24.8K $24.8K

56.09%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$250 $250

-62.09%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$61.2 $61.2

-40.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$61.0 $61.0

-13.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$29.59 $29.59

149.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$50.1 $50.1

-28.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$16.78 $16.78

-52.86%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$503 $503

-2.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$7,031 $7,031

69.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$70.5 $70.5

-22.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$31.78 $31.78

75.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$122 $122

-33.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$120 $120

-35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,737 $1,737

-53.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,307 $1,307

-39.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,320 $2,320

72.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,175 $2,175

-35.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$4,255 $4,255

66.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$4,212 $4,212

-70.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$4,017 $4,017

-77.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.67

29.24%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Atlantic City, NJ: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Atlantic City, NJ

$1.3K 46.3% 65.6% $518

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Atlantic City, NJ

$488 17.3% 39.5% $138

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Atlantic City, NJ

$322 11.4% 51.4% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Atlantic City, NJ

$372 13.2% 102% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Atlantic City, NJ

$155 5.5% 27.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Atlantic City, NJ

$63 2.2% 29.5% $26

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Atlantic City, NJ

$114 4% 28.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $1,737 in Atlantic City, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atlantic City, NJ pays 353% 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 $98.0 in Atlantic City, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $488 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Atlantic City, NJ

🕒 Local time

16:00 4:00 PM

18:00 6:00 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

39,958

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Atlantic City, NJ 3,450 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Atlantic City, NJ

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 Atlantic City, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Atlantic City, NJ differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,835 vs $2,821 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 353% lower in Atlantic City, NJ. 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: $801 in Nosara versus $1,737 in Atlantic City, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Atlantic City, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $98.0 in Atlantic City, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Atlantic City, NJ. 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 Atlantic City, NJ 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 54% less than in Atlantic City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.