Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Billings, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,390 in Billings, MT, 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 Billings, MT
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Billings, MT Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Billings, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,390

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Billings, MT

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 Billings, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,844 per month in Nosara vs $2,390 in Billings, MT, rent included.

Nosara $1,844
Billings, MT $2,390

A couple spends around $2,817 per month in Nosara vs $3,554 in Billings, MT, rent included.

Nosara $2,817
Billings, MT $3,554

A family of three spends $3,790 per month in Nosara vs $4,718 in Billings, MT, rent included.

Nosara $3,790
Billings, MT $4,718

Nosara is about 23% cheaper than Billings, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Billings, MT sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Billings, MT by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,568

$25.92 $25.92

-52.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$76.2 $76.2

-20.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$13.32 $13.32

-41.37%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$6.35 $6.35

-31.18%

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

$1.78 ₡800

$2.51 $2.51

-29.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.65 $1.65

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$4.21 $4.21

-19.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,939

$5.02 $5.02

-14.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.00 $1.00

55.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,425

$3.44 $3.44

-7.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,130

$3.15 $3.15

-20.32%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.15 $3.15

12.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,313

$11.83 $11.83

-37.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,703

$11.72 $11.72

-10.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,255

$17.67 $17.67

-21.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.52 $3.52

-35.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.44 $1.44

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$2.87 $2.87

63.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$4.69 $4.69

-65.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,746

$1.18 $1.18

228.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$1.97 $1.97

92.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$2.39 $2.39

-55.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$1.47 $1.47

77.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$9.82 $9.82

-47.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,143

$10.70 $10.70

90.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$2.26 $2.26

28.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$5.18 $5.18

-29.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$2.02 $2.02

-35.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$28.45 $28.45

157.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$2.44 $2.44

-10.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡829

$1.40 $1.40

31.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$60.9 $60.9

-87.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.02 $1.02

52.94%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$29.2K $29.2K

14.54%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$23.9K $23.9K

59.20%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$175 $175

-45.22%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$49.70 $49.70

-28.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$82.9 $82.9

-35.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$41.56 $41.56

62.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

$14.97 $14.97

136.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$14.02 $14.02

-44.94%

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

$496 ₡222.8K

$1,066 $1,066

-53.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,517 $8,517

39.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$59.0 $59.0

-7.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$66.9 $66.9

-17.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$99.3 $99.3

-19.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$120 $120

-35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$1,198 $1,198

-31.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.7K

$1,085 $1,085

-26.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$1,860 $1,860

109.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.6K

$1,804 $1,804

-22.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

$2,525 $2,525

176.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.6K

$2,047 $2,047

-40.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.3K

$3,874 $3,874

-77.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.4

34.69%

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

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Last update for Billings, MT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Billings, MT

$1.1K 45.4% 35.6% $285

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Billings, MT

$356 14.9% 0.9% $3.1

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Billings, MT

$371 15.5% 74.3% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Billings, MT

$308 12.9% 66.3% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Billings, MT

$155 6.5% 29.1% $35

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Billings, MT

$46 1.9% 48.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Billings, MT

$70 2.9% 16.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $1,198 in Billings, MT. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Billings, MT are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $76 in Billings, MT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $356 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Billings, MT

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

117,116

💱 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 Billings, MT 4,540 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Billings, MT

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 Billings, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Billings, MT costs about 30% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,765 per month in Nosara and $3,586 in Billings, MT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,198 in Billings, MT.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,844 in Nosara and $2,390 in Billings, MT. That makes Nosara about 23% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $496 per month in Nosara and $1,066 in Billings, MT. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,844 in Nosara and $2,390 in Billings, MT, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Billings, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.