Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Burlington, IA

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Burlington, IA: $1,835 and $1,769 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, IA
Learn more

Burlington, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Burlington, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Burlington, IA

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 Burlington, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA.

Nosara $1,835
Burlington, IA $1,769

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $2,675 in Burlington, IA.

Nosara $2,825
Burlington, IA $2,675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $3,580 in Burlington, IA.

Nosara $3,814
Burlington, IA $3,580

Living in Nosara is roughly 4% more expensive than in Burlington, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Burlington, IA 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$11.35 $11.35

8.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$59.1 $59.1

3.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$8.84 $8.84

-12.22%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.74 $4.74

-6.33%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.95 $1.95

-8.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.02 $2.02

-36.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.41 $3.41

-4.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$4.58 $4.58

-3.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.81 $0.81

91.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.82 $2.82

9.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.34 $4.34

-41.71%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.92 $2.92

18.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$11.37 $11.37

-35.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$11.93 $11.93

-14.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$14.20 $14.20

-0.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.02 $4.02

-43.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.98 $1.98

-17.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.61 $4.61

3.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.65 $4.65

-64.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.74 $2.74

40.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.60 $2.60

44.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.54 $1.54

-29.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.06 $2.06

25.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$8.16 $8.16

-37.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$16.29 $16.29

22.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.89 $1.89

48.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.27 $2.27

55.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.94 $1.94

-37.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$15.76 $15.76

368.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$4.67 $4.67

-53.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.02 $1.02

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$22.19 $22.19

-60.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.94 $0.94

64.89%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$22.7K $22.7K

52.00%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$25.0K $25.0K

55.11%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$184 $184

-48.50%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$47.16 $47.16

-23.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$59.2 $59.2

-10.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$42.42 $42.42

73.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$11.92 $11.92

-33.64%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,210 $1,210

-59.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$13.3K $13.3K

-10.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$44.72 $44.72

22.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$30.53 $30.53

83.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$87.0 $87.0

-7.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$37.90 $37.90

105.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$754 $754

6.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$707 $707

11.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,172 $1,172

241.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,280 $1,280

10.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,026 $1,026

588.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,033 $1,033

19.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$4,446 $4,446

-80.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.54

31.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Burlington, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Burlington, IA

$707 40% 10.5% $83

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Burlington, IA

$366 20.7% 4.7% $16

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Burlington, IA

$216 12.2% 1.7% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Burlington, IA

$290 16.4% 57.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Burlington, IA

$90 5.1% 25.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Burlington, IA

$66 3.7% 26.1% $23

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Burlington, IA

$33 1.9% 62.5% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 401% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $59.0 in Burlington, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $366, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Burlington, IA

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

19:14 7:14 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

44,743

💱 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Burlington, IA 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Burlington, IA

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 Burlington, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burlington, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Burlington, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 401% lower in Burlington, IA. 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 $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $1,210 in Burlington, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,769 in Burlington, IA versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Burlington, IA but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Burlington, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Burlington, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,769 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Burlington, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Burlington, IA 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 Burlington, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.