Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chevy Chase, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
174

Cost of Living Index in Chevy Chase, MD
Learn more

Chevy Chase, MD Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Chevy Chase, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,535

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Chevy Chase, MD

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 Chevy Chase, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Chevy Chase, MD $3,535

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $4,617 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Chevy Chase, MD $4,617

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $5,699 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Chevy Chase, MD $5,699

Nosara is about 48% cheaper than Chevy Chase, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Chevy Chase, MD sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Chevy Chase, MD by 162%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$23.84 $23.84

-48.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$100 $100

-38.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.88 $10.88

-30.88%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.70 $5.70

-22.63%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.99 $2.99

-41.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.44 $2.44

-46.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.90 $7.90

-58.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$9.10 $9.10

-50.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.22 $1.22

27.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$4.46 $4.46

-32.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$5.46 $5.46

-54.03%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$5.07 $5.07

-29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$21.40 $21.40

-65.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$15.53 $15.53

-32.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$23.24 $23.24

-39.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.54 $5.54

-57.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.82 $1.82

-11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.60 $4.60

4.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.95 $5.95

-72.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.21 $3.21

18.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.78 $3.78

-2.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.34 $2.34

-51.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.57 $2.57

3.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.42 $10.42

-50.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$17.09 $17.09

16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.86 $2.86

1.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.95 $2.95

23.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.17 $2.17

-48.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.07 $4.07

-47.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.27 $1.27

23.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$25.05 $25.05

-65.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.00 $1.00

52.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$34.3K $34.3K

-36.93%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.4K $25.4K

35.87%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$163 $163

-40.83%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$51.0 $51.0

-29.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$62.5 $62.5

-14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$37.93 $37.93

88.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$16.66 $16.66

-52.64%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,586 $1,586

-68.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$20.0K $20.0K

-40.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$55.7 $55.7

-3.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$63.1 $63.1

-12.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$101 $101

-22.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$166 $166

-52.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$2,555 $2,555

-69.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$2,114 $2,114

-62.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$4,195 $4,195

-6.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,376 $2,376

-40.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,777 $2,777

148.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,399 $2,399

-48.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chevy Chase, MD: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Chevy Chase, MD

$2.1K 59.8% 166% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Chevy Chase, MD

$509 14.4% 44.5% $157

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Chevy Chase, MD

$371 10.5% 75.2% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Chevy Chase, MD

$276 7.8% 48.7% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Chevy Chase, MD

$174 4.9% 44.6% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Chevy Chase, MD

$71 2% 18.5% $16

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Chevy Chase, MD

$19 * 0.5% 78.1% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $2,555 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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 $100 in Chevy Chase, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $509 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Chevy Chase, MD

🕒 Local time

14:52 2:52 PM

16:52 4:52 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,000

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Chevy Chase, MD 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Chevy Chase, MD

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 Chevy Chase, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chevy Chase, MD costs about 92% 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 $2,758 per month in Nosara and $5,302 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD. That's a gap of about 92%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $1,586 in Chevy Chase, MD. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Chevy Chase, MD at $3,535. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chevy Chase, MD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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, Chevy Chase, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.