Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Carlsbad, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,199 in Carlsbad, NM, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Carlsbad, NM
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Carlsbad, NM Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Carlsbad, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Carlsbad, NM

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 Carlsbad, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,844 per month in Nosara vs $2,199 in Carlsbad, NM, rent included.

Nosara $1,844
Carlsbad, NM $2,199

A couple spends around $2,817 per month in Nosara vs $3,149 in Carlsbad, NM, rent included.

Nosara $2,817
Carlsbad, NM $3,149

A family of three spends $3,790 per month in Nosara vs $4,099 in Carlsbad, NM, rent included.

Nosara $3,790
Carlsbad, NM $4,099

Nosara is about 16% cheaper than Carlsbad, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Carlsbad, NM sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Carlsbad, NM by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,568

$17.79 $17.79

-30.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$45.14 $45.14

34.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$11.76 $11.76

-33.59%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$5.86 $5.86

-25.43%

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

$1.78 ₡800

$1.53 $1.53

16.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.26 $1.26

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$4.85 $4.85

-30.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,939

$6.90 $6.90

-37.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$0.80 $0.80

93.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,425

$3.50 $3.50

-9.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,130

$3.61 $3.61

-30.47%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.64 $4.64

-23.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,313

$13.35 $13.35

-44.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,703

$12.12 $12.12

-13.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,255

$17.69 $17.69

-21.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$4.26 $4.26

-46.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.03 $2.03

-23.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$3.54 $3.54

32.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$3.89 $3.89

-58.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,746

$2.32 $2.32

67.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$2.42 $2.42

56.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$1.79 $1.79

-40.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$1.88 $1.88

38.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$10.95 $10.95

-52.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,143

$15.05 $15.05

35.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$2.46 $2.46

18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$3.67 $3.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$2.35 $2.35

-6.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡829

$2.40 $2.40

-23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,513

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$0.91 $0.91

71.43%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$27.9K $27.9K

19.93%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$24.4K $24.4K

56.11%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$172 $172

-44.15%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$57.7 $57.7

-38.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$75.3 $75.3

-28.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$41.58 $41.58

62.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$10.12 $10.12

-23.72%

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

$496 ₡222.8K

$663 $663

-25.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,636 $6,636

79.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$58.1 $58.1

-5.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$31.94 $31.94

72.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$83.9 $83.9

-4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$101 $101

-23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$1,225 $1,225

-33.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.7K

$1,009 $1,009

-20.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$1,975 $1,975

96.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.6K

$1,591 $1,591

-12.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

$2,002 $2,002

248.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.6K

$2,003 $2,003

-38.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.3K

$4,106 $4,106

-78.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.61

53.65%

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

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Last update for Carlsbad, NM: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Carlsbad, NM

$1K 45.9% 26.1% $209

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Carlsbad, NM

$388 17.7% 10.1% $36

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Carlsbad, NM

$297 13.5% 39.5% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Carlsbad, NM

$305 13.9% 64.7% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Carlsbad, NM

$124 5.6% 3% $3.6

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Carlsbad, NM

$14 * 0.7% 84% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Carlsbad, NM

$62 2.8% 25.4% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $1,225 in Carlsbad, NM. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Carlsbad, NM are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $45 in Carlsbad, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $353 in Nosara vs $388 in Carlsbad, NM – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Carlsbad, NM

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

04:56 4:56 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

114,746

💱 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 Carlsbad, NM 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Carlsbad, NM

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 Carlsbad, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,844 in Nosara, $2,199 in Carlsbad, NM – Nosara comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,765 per month in Nosara and $3,298 in Carlsbad, NM. 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 $1,225 in Carlsbad, NM.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara and $45 in Carlsbad, NM. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Carlsbad, NM, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,844 in Nosara and $2,199 in Carlsbad, NM, 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, Carlsbad, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.