Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Fort Walton Beach, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,162 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fort Walton Beach, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Fort Walton Beach, FL
Learn more

Fort Walton Beach, FL Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Fort Walton Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,162

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Fort Walton Beach, FL

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 Walton Beach, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,162 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Fort Walton Beach, FL $2,162

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,344 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Fort Walton Beach, FL $3,344

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,526 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Fort Walton Beach, FL $4,526

Nosara is about 15% cheaper than Fort Walton Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Fort Walton Beach, FL sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Fort Walton Beach, FL by 60%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$14.82 $14.82

-16.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$80.0 $80.0

-23.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.38 $10.38

-27.55%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.92 $4.92

-10.37%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.62 $2.62

-33.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.03 $2.03

-35.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.89 $4.89

-32.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.05 $7.05

-36.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.03 $1.03

51.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.86 $2.86

5.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.02 $2.02

24.26%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.02 $3.02

18.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.40 $11.40

-34.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.88 $9.88

6.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.01 $14.01

-0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.55 $3.55

-33.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.57 $1.57

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.24 $3.24

48.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.87 $2.87

-43.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.43 $1.43

165.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.05 $2.05

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.75 $1.75

-35.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.51 $1.51

76.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$9.20 $9.20

-43.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.75 $8.75

127.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.85 $1.85

56.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.03 $2.03

78.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.03 $2.03

-44.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$49.66 $49.66

46.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$6.14 $6.14

-65.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.82 $1.82

-13.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$45.52 $45.52

-81.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.95 $0.95

60.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$26.6K $26.6K

-18.77%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.2K $25.2K

36.82%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$171 $171

-43.75%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$49.37 $49.37

-27.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$64.5 $64.5

-16.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$46.91 $46.91

52.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.39 $13.39

-41.08%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$826 $826

-40.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$13.5K $13.5K

-12.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$30.36 $30.36

77.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.91 $19.91

178.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$95.8 $95.8

-18.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$105 $105

-24.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,643 $1,643

-52.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,048 $1,048

-24.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,842 $2,842

38.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,008 $2,008

-29.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,773 $4,773

44.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$5,105 $5,105

-76.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,269 $3,269

-73.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.42

34.27%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Fort Walton Beach, FL: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$1K 48.5% 32% $254

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$304 14% 13.8% $49

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$266 12.3% 25.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$285 13.2% 53.4% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$113 5.2% 5.9% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$74 3.4% 15.7% $14

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$73 3.4% 16.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,643 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. 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 279% higher in Fort Walton Beach, FL, 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 $80.0 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $304 in Fort Walton Beach, FL – so Fort Walton Beach, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Fort Walton Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

19,507

💱 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 Fort Walton Beach, FL 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Fort Walton Beach, FL

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 Walton Beach, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,162 in Fort Walton Beach, FL – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,244 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Fort Walton Beach, FL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $80.0 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Fort Walton Beach, FL at $2,162. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Walton Beach, FL 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $2,162 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. 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 Walton Beach, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.