Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Brookings, SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,592 in Brookings, SD, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brookings, SD
Learn more

Brookings, SD Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Brookings, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,592 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Brookings, SD $2,592

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,536 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Brookings, SD $3,536

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,480 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Brookings, SD $4,480

Nosara is about 29% cheaper than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Brookings, SD sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Brookings, SD by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$17.52 $17.52

-29.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$39.50 $39.50

55.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.37 $11.37

-31.75%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.59 $4.59

-3.27%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.52 $2.52

-28.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.96 $1.96

-34.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$6.08 $6.08

-46.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$7.03 $7.03

-36.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.84 $0.84

84.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.49 $3.49

-11.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$6.54 $6.54

-61.31%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.56 $3.56

-3.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$10.38 $10.38

-29.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$13.83 $13.83

-25.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$13.02 $13.02

8.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.92 $5.92

-61.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.83 $1.83

-10.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$6.55 $6.55

-26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$5.21 $5.21

-68.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$4.39 $4.39

-12.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$4.11 $4.11

-8.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.36 $2.36

-53.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.95 $1.95

32.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$13.03 $13.03

-60.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$11.88 $11.88

67.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.86 $2.86

-2.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$5.76 $5.76

-38.89%

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

$5.03 $5.03

-56.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.68 $1.68

-7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$23.76 $23.76

-63.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.03 $1.03

50.49%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.2K $30.2K

14.48%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$26.3K $26.3K

47.21%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$178 $178

-46.78%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$54.1 $54.1

-33.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$70.7 $70.7

-24.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$11.83 $11.83

-33.14%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,338 $1,338

-63.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$36.3K $36.3K

-67.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$42.60 $42.60

28.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$34.98 $34.98

59.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$88.0 $88.0

-8.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$104 $104

-25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,663 $1,663

-51.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,419 $1,419

-44.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,083 $2,083

92.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,037 $2,037

-30.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,622 $2,622

169.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,872 $2,872

-56.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.5

56.73%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Brookings, SD: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Brookings, SD

$1.4K 54.8% 79.7% $629

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Brookings, SD

$420 16.2% 20% $70

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Brookings, SD

$292 11.3% 37.2% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Brookings, SD

$303 11.7% 64.7% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Brookings, SD

$121 4.7% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Brookings, SD

$24 * 0.9% 73.6% $66

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Brookings, SD

$13 * 0.5% 84.9% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,663 in Brookings, SD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $39.00 in Brookings, SD. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $420 in Brookings, SD – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Brookings, SD

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

18,802

💱 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 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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Brookings, SD 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brookings, SD costs about 41% 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 $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,888 in Brookings, SD. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $39.00 in Brookings, SD. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Brookings, SD, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Brookings, SD at $2,592. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brookings, SD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,592 in Brookings, SD. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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