Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and College Station, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,108 in College Station, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in College Station, TX
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College Station, TX Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

College Station, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,108

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in College Station, TX

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 Station, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,108 in College Station, TX.

Nosara $1,839
College Station, TX $2,108

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,162 in College Station, TX.

Nosara $2,828
College Station, TX $3,162

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,216 in College Station, TX.

Nosara $3,818
College Station, TX $4,216

Living in Nosara costs roughly 13% less than in College Station, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, College Station, TX 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$15.08 $15.08

-18.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$76.5 $76.5

-20.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$12.24 $12.24

-38.56%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.39 $5.39

-18.18%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.84 $2.84

-38.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.76 $1.76

-25.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.14 $5.14

-36.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.63 $7.63

-41.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.76 $0.76

105.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.33 $3.33

-9.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.90 $3.90

-35.64%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.88 $2.88

23.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.11 $12.11

-38.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.47 $9.47

11.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.17 $13.17

6.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.37 $6.37

-63.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.54 $1.54

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$6.48 $6.48

-25.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.84 $4.84

-66.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$4.07 $4.07

-6.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.92 $2.92

26.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.76 $1.76

-35.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.80 $1.80

47.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$8.80 $8.80

-41.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.12 $14.12

40.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.77 $1.77

63.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.91 $3.91

-7.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.02 $1.02

9.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$20.08 $20.08

261.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$10.13 $10.13

-78.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.84 $1.84

-14.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$59.6 $59.6

-85.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.91 $0.91

67.03%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.6K $36.6K

-40.99%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.0K $25.0K

37.95%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$175 $175

-45.10%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$39.25 $39.25

-8.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$55.6 $55.6

-3.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$25.63 $25.63

179.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.43 $17.43

100.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.57 $11.57

-31.81%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$747 $747

-33.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$17.7K $17.7K

-33.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$60.1 $60.1

-10.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$38.42 $38.42

44.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$83.8 $83.8

-7.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$123 $123

-35.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,128 $1,128

-30.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$952 $952

-16.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,951 $1,951

101.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,595 $1,595

-11.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,161 $2,161

219.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,178 $2,178

-43.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$4,241 $4,241

-79.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.57

31.20%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for College Station, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

College Station, TX

$952 45.2% 19.9% $158

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

College Station, TX

$374 17.8% 6.2% $22

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

College Station, TX

$281 13.4% 32.9% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

College Station, TX

$270 12.8% 45.5% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

College Station, TX

$138 6.5% 14.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

College Station, TX

$49 2.3% 44.2% $39

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

College Station, TX

$43 2.1% 50.1% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,128 in College Station, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

College Station, TX pays 391% 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 $77.0 in College Station, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $374 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 College Station, TX

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

11:03 11:03 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

120,511

💱 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 College Station, TX 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
College Station, TX

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 Station, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in College Station, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 391% lower in College Station, TX. 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 $1,128 in College Station, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 262% less than in College Station, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $747 in College Station, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,108 in College Station, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in College Station, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and College Station, TX 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in College Station, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.