Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and College Park, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,365 in College Park, MD, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
163

Cost of Living Index in College Park, MD
Learn more

College Park, MD Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

College Park, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $3,365 in College Park, MD, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
College Park, MD $3,365

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $4,621 in College Park, MD, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
College Park, MD $4,621

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $5,876 in College Park, MD, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
College Park, MD $5,876

Nosara is about 45% cheaper than College Park, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and College Park, MD sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, College Park, MD by 151%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$15.68 $15.68

-22.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$70.2 $70.2

-14.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$9.82 $9.82

-23.22%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.62 $4.62

-6.71%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.63 $2.63

-34.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.73 $1.73

-21.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$6.55 $6.55

-50.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$6.09 $6.09

-26.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.91 $0.91

72.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.49 $2.49

27.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$5.38 $5.38

-55.02%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.00 $2.00

78.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$6.16 $6.16

20.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.75 $6.75

54.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$20.25 $20.25

-32.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$6.46 $6.46

-64.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.32 $1.32

21.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$7.39 $7.39

-35.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$5.57 $5.57

-70.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$5.04 $5.04

-26.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$3.33 $3.33

7.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.03 $1.03

6.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$3.26 $3.26

-21.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$9.19 $9.19

-46.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.80 $11.80

69.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.72 $1.72

62.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.69 $3.69

-4.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$3.08 $3.08

-61.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$4.04 $4.04

-44.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.07 $2.07

-25.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$25.45 $25.45

-65.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.93 $0.93

68.82%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$36.3K $36.3K

-39.93%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$25.4K $25.4K

36.26%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$245 $245

-61.80%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$50.0 $50.0

-29.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$67.5 $67.5

-23.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$40.58 $40.58

75.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$15.06 $15.06

-47.94%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$2,026 $2,026

-75.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$47.52 $47.52

12.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$32.02 $32.02

74.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$116 $116

-31.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$133 $133

-40.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$2,282 $2,282

-65.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$2,080 $2,080

-62.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$3,844 $3,844

0.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$3,140 $3,140

-55.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$6,363 $6,363

-86.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.23

38.36%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for College Park, MD: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

College Park, MD

$2.1K 62.3% 167% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

College Park, MD

$379 11.3% 8.4% $29

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

College Park, MD

$273 8.2% 30.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

College Park, MD

$362 10.9% 101% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

College Park, MD

$148 4.4% 23.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

College Park, MD

$71 2.1% 18.8% $16

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

College Park, MD

$27 * 0.8% 69.2% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $2,282 in College Park, MD. 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 626% higher in College Park, MD, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $70.0 in College Park, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $379 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 College Park, MD

🕒 Local time

14:01 2:01 PM

16:01 4:01 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

34,740

💱 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 = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara College Park, MD 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
College Park, 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 College Park, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $3,365 in College Park, MD – roughly 83% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $5,047 in College Park, 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 $1,837 in Nosara and $3,365 in College Park, MD. That's a gap of about 83%.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $2,026 in College Park, 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 $1,837, than in College Park, MD at $3,365. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in College Park, MD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $3,365 in College Park, MD. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, College Park, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.