Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Hilton Head Island, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,953 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hilton Head Island, SC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hilton Head Island, SC
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Hilton Head Island, SC Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Hilton Head Island, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,953

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Hilton Head Island, SC

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 Hilton Head Island, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,953 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Hilton Head Island, SC $2,953

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,700 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Hilton Head Island, SC $2,700

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,446 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Hilton Head Island, SC $2,446

Nosara is about 38% cheaper than Hilton Head Island, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Hilton Head Island, SC sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Hilton Head Island, SC by 119%.

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

$58.8 $58.8

3.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.63 $11.63

-35.34%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.02 $5.02

-12.15%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.06 $3.06

-43.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.96 $1.96

-33.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.11 $5.11

-35.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.17 $6.17

-27.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.76 $0.76

105.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.28 $3.28

-7.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.65 $3.65

-31.23%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.86 $2.86

24.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.72 $8.72

-14.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.93 $9.93

5.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.11 $13.11

6.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.57 $4.57

-48.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.49 $1.49

8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.92 $3.92

22.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.75 $4.75

-66.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.02 $3.02

25.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.14 $3.14

17.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.58 $2.58

-56.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.46 $2.46

8.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$9.76 $9.76

-46.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.01 $15.01

32.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.08 $2.08

39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.25 $3.25

11.69%

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

$1.48 $1.48

44.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.12 $1.12

40.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$13.94 $13.94

-38.88%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

-42.58%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.9K $25.9K

33.41%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$210 $210

-54.12%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$55.6 $55.6

-35.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$67.5 $67.5

-20.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$20.17 $20.17

254.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$14.74 $14.74

-46.47%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,306 $1,306

-62.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.8K $11.8K

0.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$35.04 $35.04

53.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$34.79 $34.79

59.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$80.6 $80.6

-3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$70.4 $70.4

13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$2,154 $2,154

-63.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,799 $1,799

-55.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,323 $2,323

69.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,740 $3,740

84.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,643 $3,643

-66.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,469 $3,469

-75.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.69

28.85%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hilton Head Island, SC: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$1.8K 60.9% 127% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$355 12% 0.8% $2.7

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$310 10.5% 46.5% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$333 11.3% 79.2% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$99 3.4% 17.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$50 1.7% 43.2% $38

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$7.1 * 0.2% 91.9% $80

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 $2,154 in Hilton Head Island, SC. 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 302% higher in Hilton Head Island, SC, 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 $59.0 in Hilton Head Island, SC. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $355 in Hilton Head Island, SC – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Hilton Head Island, SC

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

12:11 12:11 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

40,512

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Hilton Head Island, SC 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Hilton Head Island, SC

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 Hilton Head Island, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilton Head Island, SC 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 $4,430 in Hilton Head Island, SC. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $2,953 in Hilton Head Island, SC. That's a gap of about 61%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $1,306 in Hilton Head Island, SC. 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 Hilton Head Island, SC at $2,953. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hilton Head Island, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,953 in Hilton Head Island, SC. 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, Hilton Head Island, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.