Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Flagstaff, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,965 in Flagstaff, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
145

Cost of Living Index in Flagstaff, AZ
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Flagstaff, AZ Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Flagstaff, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Flagstaff, AZ

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 Flagstaff, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,965 in Flagstaff, AZ, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Flagstaff, AZ $2,965

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $4,337 in Flagstaff, AZ, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Flagstaff, AZ $4,337

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $5,710 in Flagstaff, AZ, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Flagstaff, AZ $5,710

Nosara is about 38% cheaper than Flagstaff, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Flagstaff, AZ sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Flagstaff, AZ by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$19.64 $19.64

-37.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$81.2 $81.2

-24.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$14.61 $14.61

-48.53%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$6.23 $6.23

-29.21%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.31 $3.31

-47.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.44 $2.44

-46.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.02 $6.02

-45.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.89 $6.89

-35.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.79 $0.79

97.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.59 $2.59

16.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.17 $4.17

-39.81%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.32 $4.32

-17.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$14.39 $14.39

-48.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.55 $7.55

39.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.08 $11.08

26.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.84 $3.84

-38.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.87 $1.87

-13.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.61 $3.61

32.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.74 $3.74

-56.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.29 $2.29

65.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.21 $2.21

66.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.23 $2.23

-49.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.65 $2.65

0.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.38 $10.38

-50.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.14 $12.14

63.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.17 $2.17

33.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.32 $2.32

56.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.02 $1.02

9.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$31.46 $31.46

130.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.67 $2.67

-19.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.34 $1.34

17.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$36.63 $36.63

-76.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.14 $1.14

33.33%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.0K $36.0K

-39.94%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.9K $25.9K

33.05%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$242 $242

-60.18%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$52.2 $52.2

-31.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$76.5 $76.5

-29.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$68.9 $68.9

3.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$20.14 $20.14

73.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.77 $13.77

-42.70%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,845 $1,845

-73.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$23.2K $23.2K

-48.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$62.8 $62.8

-14.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$35.23 $35.23

57.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$110 $110

-29.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$133 $133

-40.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$2,008 $2,008

-60.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,620 $1,620

-50.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$3,420 $3,420

15.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,785 $2,785

-49.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,586 $4,586

50.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$4,299 $4,299

-71.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,743 $3,743

-76.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.46

33.44%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Flagstaff, AZ: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Flagstaff, AZ

$1.6K 54.6% 104% $825

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Flagstaff, AZ

$337 11.4% 4.3% $15

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Flagstaff, AZ

$343 11.6% 61.7% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Flagstaff, AZ

$370 12.5% 99.4% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Flagstaff, AZ

$154 5.2% 28.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Flagstaff, AZ

$96 3.3% 10.3% $9

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Flagstaff, AZ

$45 1.5% 48.4% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $2,008 in Flagstaff, AZ. 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 333% higher in Flagstaff, AZ, 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 $81.0 in Flagstaff, AZ. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $337 in Flagstaff, AZ – so Flagstaff, AZ wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Flagstaff, AZ

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

10:36 10:36 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

76,831

💱 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 = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Flagstaff, AZ 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Flagstaff, AZ

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 Flagstaff, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Flagstaff, AZ costs about 61% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $4,448 in Flagstaff, AZ. 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.

Public transport costs about 131% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $1,845 in Flagstaff, AZ. 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 $1,839, than in Flagstaff, AZ at $2,965. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Flagstaff, AZ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,965 in Flagstaff, AZ. 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, Flagstaff, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.