Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bristol, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,038 in Bristol, VA, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Bristol, VA
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Bristol, VA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Bristol, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,038 in Bristol, VA.

Nosara $1,835
Bristol, VA $2,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $3,040 in Bristol, VA.

Nosara $2,825
Bristol, VA $3,040

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $4,041 in Bristol, VA.

Nosara $3,814
Bristol, VA $4,041

Living in Nosara costs roughly 10% less than in Bristol, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Bristol, VA 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$17.76 $17.76

-30.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$63.9 $63.9

-4.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$10.82 $10.82

-28.28%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.03 $4.03

10.17%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.93 $1.93

-7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.76 $1.76

-26.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$4.59 $4.59

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.90 $5.90

-24.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.96 $0.96

61.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$4.00 $4.00

-23.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$3.33 $3.33

-24.02%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.69 $3.69

-6.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$16.25 $16.25

-54.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$15.92 $15.92

-35.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$18.05 $18.05

-21.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.22 $5.22

-56.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.27 $1.27

29.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.70 $4.70

1.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.59 $4.59

-64.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.84 $3.84

0.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.90 $2.90

29.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.00 $2.00

-45.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.34 $2.34

10.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$8.54 $8.54

-40.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$15.55 $15.55

28.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.45 $2.45

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.67 $3.67

-4.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.05 $3.05

-28.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.91 $1.91

-18.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$29.46 $29.46

-70.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.89 $0.89

74.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.5K $34.5K

0.15%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$25.4K $25.4K

52.52%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$171 $171

-44.66%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$67.4 $67.4

-46.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$70.5 $70.5

-24.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$31.37 $31.37

135.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$15.98 $15.98

-50.50%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,465 $1,465

-66.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$24.8K $24.8K

-52.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$50.7 $50.7

7.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$36.93 $36.93

51.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$65.5 $65.5

22.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$90.6 $90.6

-14.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,107 $1,107

-27.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$831 $831

-5.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,786 $1,786

124.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,389 $1,389

1.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,788 $1,788

295.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,800 $1,800

-31.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$3,025 $3,025

-70.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.48

33.02%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Bristol, VA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Bristol, VA

$831 40.8% 5.3% $42

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Bristol, VA

$440 21.6% 25.8% $90

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Bristol, VA

$272 13.4% 28.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Bristol, VA

$309 15.2% 68.1% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Bristol, VA

$110 5.4% 9.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Bristol, VA

$63 3.1% 29.3% $26

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Bristol, VA

$13 * 0.6% 85.8% $76

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 $1,107 in Bristol, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol, VA pays 241% 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 $64.0 in Bristol, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $440 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Bristol, VA

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

12:06 12:06 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

17,141

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Bristol, VA 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Nosara and Bristol, VA differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,835 vs $2,038 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 241% lower in Bristol, 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: $801 in Nosara versus $1,107 in Bristol, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $1,465 in Bristol, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $64.0 in Bristol, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,038 in Bristol, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Bristol, 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 Bristol, 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 11% less than in Bristol, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.