Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Centreville, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,973 in Centreville, VA, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Centreville, VA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,973
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $3,973 in Centreville, VA.

  • Nosara $1,835
  • Centreville, VA $3,973

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $5,800 in Centreville, VA.

  • Nosara $2,825
  • Centreville, VA $5,800

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $7,626 in Centreville, VA.

  • Nosara $3,814
  • Centreville, VA $7,626

Living in Nosara costs roughly 54% less than in Centreville, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Centreville, VA 193% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Centreville, VA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.34 ₡5,535
$24.19 $24.19
-48.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 ₡27.5K
$106 $106
-42.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.76 ₡3,481
$11.78 $11.78
-34.13%
Cappuccino
$4.44 ₡1,992
$6.20 $6.20
-28.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₡803
$3.10 $3.10
-42.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 ₡580
$2.48 $2.48
-47.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,451
$8.10 $8.10
-60.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 ₡1,985
$8.92 $8.92
-50.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Centreville, VA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡696
$1.35 $1.35
14.81%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,380
$4.42 $4.42
-30.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,133
$6.88 $6.88
-63.23%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,546
$5.51 $5.51
-37.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 ₡3,284
$21.94 $21.94
-66.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 ₡4,594
$17.13 $17.13
-40.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,326
$22.98 $22.98
-38.64%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,027
$6.90 $6.90
-66.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₡737
$1.91 $1.91
-14.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.79 ₡2,149
$4.89 $4.89
-2.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 ₡735
$5.78 $5.78
-71.63%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ₡1,727
$3.22 $3.22
19.57%
Onion (1kg)
$3.75 ₡1,681
$3.85 $3.85
-2.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 ₡488
$2.57 $2.57
-57.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 ₡1,160
$2.63 $2.63
-1.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 ₡2,295
$10.90 $10.90
-53.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.92 ₡8,931
$15.97 $15.97
24.73%
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
$5.83 $5.83
-39.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Centreville, VA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 ₡549
$4.52 $4.52
-73.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.9 ₡33.1K
$199 $199
-62.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 ₡973
$3.96 $3.96
-45.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 ₡698
$1.26 $1.26
23.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.67 ₡3,886
$25.42 $25.42
-65.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡697
$1.00 $1.00
55.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$31.7K $31.7K
9.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K ₡17.4M
$26.1K $26.1K
48.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Centreville, VA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.8 ₡42.5K
$214 $214
-55.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.15 ₡16.2K
$79.7 $79.7
-54.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ₡23.8K
$78.4 $78.4
-32.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Centreville, VA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.8 ₡33.1K
$98.7 $98.7
-25.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.63 ₡16.0K
$49.54 $49.54
-28.08%
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 ₡3,548
$17.94 $17.94
-55.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Centreville, VA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡219.9K
$2,034 $2,034
-75.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$36.3K $36.3K
-67.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Centreville, VA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.8 ₡24.6K
$70.7 $70.7
-22.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.9 ₡25.1K
$62.5 $62.5
-10.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.4 ₡36.0K
$105 $105
-23.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$164 $164
-52.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Centreville, VA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 ₡359.1K
$2,766 $2,766
-71.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 ₡354.1K
$2,135 $2,135
-63.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,005 ₡1.8M
$4,010 $4,010
-0.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 ₡632.0K
$3,440 $3,440
-59.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,064 ₡3.2M
$3,814 $3,814
85.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 ₡554.3K
$2,929 $2,929
-57.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Centreville, VA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$887 ₡397.6K
$5,675 $5,675
-84.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
6.63
30.02%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Centreville, VA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$790
Centreville, VA
$2.1K 170% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Centreville, VA
$539 54.2% $189
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Centreville, VA
$384 80.5% $171
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Centreville, VA
$373 102% $188
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Centreville, VA
$181 49.6% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$90
Centreville, VA
$135 50.2% $45
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Centreville, VA
$227 156% $139

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $2,766 in Centreville, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centreville, VA pays 540% 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 $106 in Centreville, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $539 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇺🇸 Centreville, VA
🕒 Local time
16:47 4:47 PM
18:47 6:47 PM
2 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
74,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Centreville, VA 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Centreville, 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 Centreville, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Centreville, VA?
Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 116% lower than in Centreville, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Nosara or in Centreville, VA?
On paper, salaries run 540% lower in Centreville, VA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Nosara compared to Centreville, VA?
Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $2,766 in Centreville, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Nosara or in Centreville, VA?
Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Centreville, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Nosara and in Centreville, VA?
Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $106 in Centreville, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Nosara or in Centreville, VA?
At $1,835 in Nosara versus $3,973 in Centreville, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Centreville, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Centreville, VA?
Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.
How safe is Nosara compared to Centreville, VA?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Centreville, 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in Centreville, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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