Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Fort Madison, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Fort Madison, IA
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Fort Madison, IA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Fort Madison, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Fort Madison, IA $2,559

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,754 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Fort Madison, IA $3,754

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,950 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Fort Madison, IA $4,950

Nosara is about 28% cheaper than Fort Madison, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Fort Madison, IA sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Fort Madison, IA by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$19.82 $19.82

-37.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$76.2 $76.2

-19.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.40 $11.40

-31.93%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.49 $5.49

-19.13%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.63 $2.63

-31.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.98 $1.98

-34.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$6.13 $6.13

-47.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$7.37 $7.37

-39.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.05 $1.05

47.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.45 $3.45

-10.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.30 $4.30

-41.16%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$4.15 $4.15

-16.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$12.60 $12.60

-41.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$11.33 $11.33

-9.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$17.07 $17.07

-17.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.89 $4.89

-53.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.58 $1.58

3.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.23 $4.23

13.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.82 $4.82

-65.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.84 $2.84

35.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.94 $2.94

27.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.14 $2.14

-49.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.21 $2.21

17.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$10.10 $10.10

-49.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$15.04 $15.04

32.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.68 $1.68

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.00 $3.00

17.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.27 $2.27

-46.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.33 $3.33

-34.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.76 $1.76

-11.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$31.70 $31.70

-72.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.92 $0.92

68.48%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.6K $26.6K

30.11%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$23.8K $23.8K

62.71%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$201 $201

-52.93%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$59.0 $59.0

-38.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$71.0 $71.0

-25.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$41.05 $41.05

79.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$14.14 $14.14

-44.06%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,439 $1,439

-65.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$23.7K $23.7K

-49.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$53.8 $53.8

1.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$40.89 $40.89

36.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$88.0 $88.0

-8.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$115 $115

-32.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,582 $1,582

-49.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,287 $1,287

-38.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,533 $2,533

58.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,141 $2,141

-34.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,414 $2,414

192.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,589 $2,589

-52.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 20, 2026

Last update for Fort Madison, IA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Fort Madison, IA

$1.3K 50.3% 63% $498

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Fort Madison, IA

$393 15.4% 12.5% $44

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Fort Madison, IA

$322 12.6% 51.6% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Fort Madison, IA

$331 13% 80.1% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Fort Madison, IA

$134 5.2% 10.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Fort Madison, IA

$69 2.7% 22.6% $20

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Fort Madison, IA

$21 * 0.8% 76.1% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,582 in Fort Madison, IA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $393 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Fort Madison, IA

🕒 Local time

17:31 5:31 PM

18:31 6:31 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

10,270

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Fort Madison, IA 3,450 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Fort Madison, 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 Fort Madison, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,838 in Fort Madison, IA. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Fort Madison, IA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Fort Madison, IA at $2,559. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Madison, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,835 in Nosara to $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Fort Madison, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.