Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Florence, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Florence, AL: $1,638 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Florence, AL
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Florence, AL Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Florence, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Florence, AL

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 Florence, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,638 in Florence, AL, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Florence, AL $1,638

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,457 in Florence, AL, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Florence, AL $2,457

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,276 in Florence, AL, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Florence, AL $3,276

Nosara costs about 12% more than Florence, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Florence, AL sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Florence, AL by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$15.17 $15.17

-18.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$63.0 $63.0

-2.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.52 $11.52

-34.72%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.75 $4.75

-7.16%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.58 $2.58

-32.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.12 $2.12

-38.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.44 $3.44

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.93 $4.93

-9.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.14 $1.14

36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.69 $3.69

-18.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.06 $4.06

-38.18%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.33 $4.33

-17.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.27 $8.27

-10.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$13.49 $13.49

-22.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.60 $11.60

20.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.95 $4.95

-52.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.56 $1.56

3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.18 $4.18

14.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.48 $4.48

-64.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.42 $2.42

57.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.35 $2.35

57.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.70 $1.70

-33.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.26 $2.26

17.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$9.90 $9.90

-47.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$3.39 $3.39

486.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.46 $2.46

17.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.48 $1.48

145.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.88 $4.88

-56.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.58 $1.58

-0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$21.35 $21.35

-60.09%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

-18.54%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.6K $27.6K

25.25%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$200 $200

-51.84%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$71.9 $71.9

-50.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$55.8 $55.8

-3.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.39 $11.39

-30.73%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$902 $902

-45.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$29.8K $29.8K

-60.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$35.25 $35.25

53.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$24.75 $24.75

123.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$81.3 $81.3

-4.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$50.2 $50.2

58.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$768 $768

2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$579 $579

37.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,137 $1,137

246.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$965 $965

47.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,671 $1,671

313.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,677 $1,677

-27.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,844 $2,844

-69.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.22

38.59%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Florence, AL: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Florence, AL

$579 35.4% 27.1% $215

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Florence, AL

$350 21.4% 0.6% $2.1

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Florence, AL

$259 15.8% 22.2% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Florence, AL

$328 20% 76.4% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Florence, AL

$86 5.3% 28.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Florence, AL

$23 * 1.4% 73.9% $65

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Florence, AL

$13 * 0.8% 85.3% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $768 in Florence, AL. 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 229% higher in Florence, AL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $63.0 in Florence, AL. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $350 in Florence, AL – so Florence, AL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Florence, AL

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

11:48 11:48 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

40,184

💱 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 Florence, AL 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Florence, AL

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 Florence, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 12% more than Florence, AL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $2,457 in Florence, AL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Florence, AL, 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 $1,839 in Nosara and $1,638 in Florence, AL. That's a gap of about 12%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $902 in Florence, AL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Florence, AL, where all-in costs run around $1,638, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Florence, AL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Florence, AL costs $1,638 versus $1,839 in Nosara. 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 Florence, AL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.