Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Clinton, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,388 in Clinton, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Clinton, IA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Clinton, IA
Learn more

Clinton, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Clinton, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,388 in Clinton, IA, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Clinton, IA $2,388

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,384 in Clinton, IA, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Clinton, IA $3,384

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,379 in Clinton, IA, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Clinton, IA $4,379

Nosara is about 23% cheaper than Clinton, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Clinton, IA sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Clinton, IA by 76%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$6.88 $6.88

79.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$49.39 $49.39

24.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.77 $11.77

-34.07%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.82 $5.82

-23.71%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.91 $2.91

-38.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.02 $2.02

-36.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$7.17 $7.17

-54.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$8.12 $8.12

-45.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.82 $0.82

89.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.26 $2.26

36.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.25 $2.25

12.44%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.04 $2.04

69.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$13.08 $13.08

-44.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$6.69 $6.69

53.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$19.80 $19.80

-28.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.24 $2.24

2.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.64 $1.64

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$3.35 $3.35

42.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$2.26 $2.26

-27.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.07 $1.07

259.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.18 $2.18

72.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.02 $2.02

-46.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.36 $2.36

9.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$10.97 $10.97

-53.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$15.32 $15.32

30.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.76 $2.76

1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$4.37 $4.37

-19.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.07 $2.07

-41.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.89 $3.89

-44.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.98 $1.98

-21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$43.90 $43.90

-80.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.93 $0.93

66.67%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.8K $30.8K

12.27%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$25.3K $25.3K

53.19%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$246 $246

-61.42%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$33.00 $33.00

9.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$47.82 $47.82

10.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$41.47 $41.47

77.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$10.16 $10.16

-22.15%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,716 $1,716

-71.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$23.2K $23.2K

-48.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$65.3 $65.3

-16.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$49.69 $49.69

12.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$80.3 $80.3

0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$122 $122

-36.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$700 $700

14.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,280 $1,280

-38.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,502 $2,502

60.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,116 $2,116

-33.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,355 $2,355

199.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,544 $2,544

-51.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$5,394 $5,394

-83.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

43.67%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Clinton, IA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Clinton, IA

$1.3K 53.6% 62.1% $490

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Clinton, IA

$323 13.5% 7.6% $27

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Clinton, IA

$232 9.7% 9.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Clinton, IA

$327 13.7% 77.5% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Clinton, IA

$143 6% 18.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Clinton, IA

$62 2.6% 31% $28

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Clinton, IA

$22 * 0.9% 75.1% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $700 in Clinton, IA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 508% higher in Clinton, IA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $49.00 in Clinton, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $323 – making Clinton, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Clinton, IA

🕒 Local time

21:13 9:13 PM

22:13 10:13 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

45,884

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Clinton, IA 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Clinton, 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 Clinton, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Clinton, IA costs about 30% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,583 in Clinton, IA. 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 $1,835 in Nosara and $2,388 in Clinton, IA. That's a gap of about 30%.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $1,716 in Clinton, IA. 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 $1,835, than in Clinton, IA at $2,388. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Clinton, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,388 in Clinton, IA. 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, Clinton, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.