Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Farmington Hills, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,534 in Farmington Hills, MI, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Farmington Hills, MI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,534
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Farmington Hills, MI

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 Farmington Hills, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,534 in Farmington Hills, MI.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Farmington Hills, MI $2,534

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,779 in Farmington Hills, MI.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Farmington Hills, MI $3,779

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $5,025 in Farmington Hills, MI.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Farmington Hills, MI $5,025

Living in Nosara costs roughly 27% less than in Farmington Hills, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Farmington Hills, MI 88% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Farmington Hills, MI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$16.80 $16.80
-26.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$60.7 $60.7
0.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$10.36 $10.36
-27.41%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$4.91 $4.91
-10.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$2.04 $2.04
-14.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$1.97 $1.97
-33.50%
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
$5.92 $5.92
-24.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Farmington Hills, MI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$0.80 $0.80
95.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$2.16 $2.16
39.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$4.42 $4.42
-43.21%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$2.73 $2.73
30.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$10.33 $10.33
-28.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$11.61 $11.61
-9.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$18.80 $18.80
-25.69%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$3.46 $3.46
-32.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.05 $1.05
53.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$6.48 $6.48
-25.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$3.61 $3.61
-55.40%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$5.79 $5.79
-34.37%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$4.45 $4.45
-17.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$2.10 $2.10
-46.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$1.52 $1.52
75.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$9.31 $9.31
-44.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$13.10 $13.10
51.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$2.40 $2.40
20.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$2.45 $2.45
48.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Farmington Hills, MI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$2.93 $2.93
-61.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$65.0 $65.0
11.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$5.34 $5.34
-59.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$1.56 $1.56
0.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$48.21 $48.21
-82.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.02 $1.02
49.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$34.0K $34.0K
-36.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$25.2K $25.2K
36.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Farmington Hills, MI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$180 $180
-46.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$58.3 $58.3
-38.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$53.1 $53.1
0.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Farmington Hills, MI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$75.9 $75.9
-5.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$35.60 $35.60
-1.94%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$11.09 $11.09
-28.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Farmington Hills, MI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$1,630 $1,630
-69.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$16.5K $16.5K
-28.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Farmington Hills, MI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$56.0 $56.0
-3.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$48.93 $48.93
13.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$45.39 $45.39
71.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$116 $116
-31.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Farmington Hills, MI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$1,533 $1,533
-48.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$1,289 $1,289
-38.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$2,683 $2,683
46.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$2,280 $2,280
-37.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$2,936 $2,936
135.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$1,719 $1,719
-28.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Farmington Hills, MI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$5,171 $5,171
-83.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
6.35
35.75%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Farmington Hills, MI: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Farmington Hills, MI
$1.3K 62.3% $495
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Farmington Hills, MI
$367 4.2% $15
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Farmington Hills, MI
$278 31.2% $66
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Farmington Hills, MI
$291 56.8% $106
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Farmington Hills, MI
$120 0.1% $0.1
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Farmington Hills, MI
$98 12.2% $11
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Farmington Hills, MI
$90 3.1% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,533 in Farmington Hills, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Farmington Hills, MI pays 499% 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 $61.0 in Farmington Hills, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $367 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇺🇸 Farmington Hills, MI
🕒 Local time
12:37 12:37 PM
14:37 2:37 PM
2 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
80,937
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Farmington Hills, MI 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Farmington Hills, MI

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 Farmington Hills, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Farmington Hills, MI?
Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Farmington Hills, MI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Nosara or in Farmington Hills, MI?
On paper, salaries run 499% lower in Farmington Hills, MI. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Nosara compared to Farmington Hills, MI?
Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,533 in Farmington Hills, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Nosara and in Farmington Hills, MI?
Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $1,630 in Farmington Hills, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Nosara or in Farmington Hills, MI?
Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Farmington Hills, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Nosara or in Farmington Hills, MI?
At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,534 in Farmington Hills, MI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Farmington Hills, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Farmington Hills, MI?
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.
How safe is Nosara compared to Farmington Hills, MI?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Farmington Hills, MI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Farmington Hills, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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