Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Beach Haven, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,048 in Beach Haven, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Beach Haven, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$3,048
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $3,048 in Beach Haven, NJ.

  • Nosara $1,835
  • Beach Haven, NJ $3,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $4,600 in Beach Haven, NJ.

  • Nosara $2,825
  • Beach Haven, NJ $4,600

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $6,153 in Beach Haven, NJ.

  • Nosara $3,814
  • Beach Haven, NJ $6,153

Living in Nosara costs roughly 40% less than in Beach Haven, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Beach Haven, NJ 125% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Beach Haven, NJ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.34 ₡5,535
$25.02 $25.02
-50.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 ₡27.5K
$121 $121
-49.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.76 ₡3,481
$14.08 $14.08
-44.89%
Cappuccino
$4.44 ₡1,992
$6.58 $6.58
-32.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₡803
$3.77 $3.77
-52.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 ₡580
$3.03 $3.03
-57.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,451
$7.93 $7.93
-59.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 ₡1,985
$9.98 $9.98
-55.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Beach Haven, NJ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡696
$1.32 $1.32
17.42%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,380
$4.89 $4.89
-37.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,133
$7.53 $7.53
-66.40%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,546
$6.10 $6.10
-43.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 ₡3,284
$19.12 $19.12
-61.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 ₡4,594
$17.63 $17.63
-41.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,326
$19.06 $19.06
-26.02%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,027
$6.72 $6.72
-65.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₡737
$2.17 $2.17
-24.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.79 ₡2,149
$6.36 $6.36
-24.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 ₡735
$6.74 $6.74
-75.67%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ₡1,727
$3.96 $3.96
-2.78%
Onion (1kg)
$3.75 ₡1,681
$4.62 $4.62
-18.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 ₡488
$2.80 $2.80
-61.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 ₡1,160
$2.61 $2.61
-0.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 ₡2,295
$17.70 $17.70
-71.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.92 ₡8,931
$19.61 $19.61
1.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₡1,255
$3.14 $3.14
-10.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 ₡1,580
$3.71 $3.71
-5.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Beach Haven, NJ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 ₡549
$2.29 $2.29
-46.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 ₡973
$3.08 $3.08
-29.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 ₡698
$2.14 $2.14
-27.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.67 ₡3,886
$41.38 $41.38
-79.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡697
$1.16 $1.16
33.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$32.2K $32.2K
7.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K ₡17.4M
$25.6K $25.6K
51.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Beach Haven, NJ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.8 ₡42.5K
$215 $215
-55.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.15 ₡16.2K
$75.0 $75.0
-51.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ₡23.8K
$70.3 $70.3
-24.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Beach Haven, NJ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.8 ₡33.1K
$36.07 $36.07
104.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 ₡3,548
$22.87 $22.87
-65.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Beach Haven, NJ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡219.9K
$1,405 $1,405
-65.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$23.8K $23.8K
-49.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Beach Haven, NJ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.8 ₡24.6K
$76.6 $76.6
-28.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.9 ₡25.1K
$53.4 $53.4
4.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.4 ₡36.0K
$119 $119
-32.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$132 $132
-40.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Beach Haven, NJ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 ₡359.1K
$1,804 $1,804
-55.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 ₡354.1K
$1,452 $1,452
-45.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,005 ₡1.8M
$2,842 $2,842
40.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 ₡632.0K
$2,433 $2,433
-42.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,064 ₡3.2M
$2,629 $2,629
168.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 ₡554.3K
$2,196 $2,196
-43.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Beach Haven, NJ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$887 ₡397.6K
-
-
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 20, 2026

Last update for Beach Haven, NJ: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$790
Beach Haven, NJ
$1.5K 83.9% $662
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Beach Haven, NJ
$551 57.6% $201
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Beach Haven, NJ
$408 91.9% $195
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Beach Haven, NJ
$361 96% $177
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Beach Haven, NJ
$171 41.5% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$90
Beach Haven, NJ
$82 8.7% $7.8
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Beach Haven, NJ
$23 * 74.2% $66

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 $801 in Nosara and $1,804 in Beach Haven, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $121 in Beach Haven, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $551 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇺🇸 Beach Haven, NJ
🕒 Local time
06:23 6:23 AM
08:23 8:23 AM
2 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
1,200
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Beach Haven, NJ 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Beach Haven, 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 Beach Haven, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Beach Haven, NJ cheaper than Nosara?
Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $4,572 in Beach Haven, NJ to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Nosara and Beach Haven, NJ?
Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $1,804 in Beach Haven, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Nosara and in Beach Haven, NJ?
Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Beach Haven, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Nosara and in Beach Haven, NJ?
All in, you'll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $3,048 in Beach Haven, NJ – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Nosara or in Beach Haven, NJ?
At $1,835 in Nosara versus $3,048 in Beach Haven, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Beach Haven, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Nosara or Beach Haven, NJ more family-friendly?
For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Beach Haven, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Nosara or Beach Haven, NJ?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Beach Haven, 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Beach Haven, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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