Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Charleston, WV

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Charleston, WV: $1,839 and $1,829 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, WV
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Charleston, WV Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Charleston, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$1,829

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Charleston, WV

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 Charleston, WV actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,829 in Charleston, WV.

Nosara $1,839
Charleston, WV $1,829

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,694 in Charleston, WV.

Nosara $2,828
Charleston, WV $2,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,559 in Charleston, WV.

Nosara $3,818
Charleston, WV $3,559

Living in Nosara is roughly 1% more expensive than in Charleston, WV, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Charleston, WV 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$14.33 $14.33

-13.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$50.0 $50.0

22.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.07 $10.07

-25.32%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.09 $3.09

42.72%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.32 $2.32

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.84 $1.84

-28.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.03 $3.03

8.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.67 $6.67

-32.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.81 $0.81

92.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.23 $2.23

35.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.67 $1.67

50.30%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.25 $3.25

9.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.21 $11.21

-33.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$12.35 $12.35

-14.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.65 $16.65

-16.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.42 $4.42

-46.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.03 $1.03

56.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.16 $2.16

122.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.17 $5.17

-68.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.95 $1.95

94.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.86 $2.86

29.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.03 $2.03

-44.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.01 $1.01

163.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$5.92 $5.92

-12.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.14 $10.14

96.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.69 $1.69

71.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$6.10 $6.10

-40.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.96 $0.96

58.33%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.8K $35.8K

-39.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.2K $25.2K

36.81%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$204 $204

-52.79%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$44.92 $44.92

-20.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$54.3 $54.3

-1.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$30.39 $30.39

135.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.17 $17.17

103.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.04 $12.04

-34.47%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$543 $543

-8.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,393 $6,393

85.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$39.37 $39.37

37.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$47.10 $47.10

17.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$68.7 $68.7

13.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$119 $119

-33.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,017 $1,017

-22.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$790 $790

0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,749 $1,749

125.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,330 $1,330

6.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,132 $1,132

510.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,130 $1,130

8.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,589 $3,589

-75.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.66

29.43%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Charleston, WV: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Charleston, WV

$790 43.2% 0.6% $4.6

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Charleston, WV

$331 18.1% 6.1% $21

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Charleston, WV

$227 12.4% 7.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Charleston, WV

$303 16.6% 63.2% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Charleston, WV

$124 6.8% 2.9% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Charleston, WV

$54 3% 37.7% $33

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Charleston, WV

- * 0% 100%

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 $788 in Nosara and $1,017 in Charleston, WV. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Charleston, WV pays 316% 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 $50.0 in Charleston, WV for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $331 per month, with Charleston, WV cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Charleston, WV

🕒 Local time

12:33 12:33 PM

14:33 2:33 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

150,227

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Charleston, WV 3,180 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Charleston, WV

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 Charleston, WV: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, WV is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 316% lower in Charleston, WV. 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: $788 in Nosara versus $1,017 in Charleston, WV. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $543 in Charleston, WV. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Charleston, WV – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,829 in Charleston, WV versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Charleston, WV but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Charleston, WV the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Charleston, WV is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Charleston, WV 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 Charleston, WV gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.