Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA.

Nosara $1,835
Des Moines, IA $2,171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $3,236 in Des Moines, IA.

Nosara $2,825
Des Moines, IA $3,236

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $4,301 in Des Moines, IA.

Nosara $3,814
Des Moines, IA $4,301

Living in Nosara costs roughly 15% less than in Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Des Moines, IA 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$19.69 $19.69

-37.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$80.8 $80.8

-24.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$12.22 $12.22

-36.50%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$6.16 $6.16

-27.92%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.93 $2.93

-38.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.56 $2.56

-49.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$4.99 $4.99

-35.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.89 $5.89

-24.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.91 $0.91

70.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.03 $3.03

1.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$3.38 $3.38

-25.15%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$4.00 $4.00

-13.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$9.69 $9.69

-24.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$9.91 $9.91

3.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$13.68 $13.68

3.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.33 $4.33

-47.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.51 $1.51

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.54 $4.54

5.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$3.68 $3.68

-55.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.07 $3.07

25.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.14 $2.14

75.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.38 $2.38

-54.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.19 $2.19

18.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$7.85 $7.85

-34.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$14.79 $14.79

34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.70 $1.70

64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.09 $3.09

13.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.73 $1.73

-29.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$58.1 $58.1

27.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.97 $1.97

10.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.23 $1.23

26.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$19.70 $19.70

-55.99%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

27.13%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$25.1K $25.1K

54.08%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$185 $185

-48.63%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$53.6 $53.6

-32.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$70.2 $70.2

-24.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$63.8 $63.8

15.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$20.14 $20.14

76.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$9.99 $9.99

-20.82%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,187 $1,187

-58.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.0K $12.0K

-0.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$59.5 $59.5

-7.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$42.98 $42.98

30.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$101 $101

-20.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$145 $145

-46.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,177 $1,177

-31.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$872 $872

-9.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,738 $1,738

130.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,394 $1,394

1.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,320 $2,320

204.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,325 $2,325

-46.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$3,647 $3,647

-75.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.56

31.40%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2% 10.5% $83

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1% 53.7% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2% 67.6% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2% 29.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9% 6.6% $5.9

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4% 17.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 311% 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 $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $349, with Des Moines, IA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

214,133

💱 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 Des Moines, IA 3,600 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Des Moines, IA. 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 311% lower in Des Moines, IA. 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: $801 in Nosara versus $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. 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 $1,835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Des Moines, IA 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 18% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.