Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Houghton, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,736 in Houghton, MI, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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 Houghton, MI
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Houghton, MI Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Houghton, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Houghton, MI

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 Houghton, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,736 in Houghton, MI.

Nosara $1,835
Houghton, MI $2,736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $3,593 in Houghton, MI.

Nosara $2,825
Houghton, MI $3,593

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $4,449 in Houghton, MI.

Nosara $3,814
Houghton, MI $4,449

Living in Nosara costs roughly 33% less than in Houghton, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Houghton, MI 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$13.78 $13.78

-10.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$39.55 $39.55

55.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$10.37 $10.37

-25.17%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.13 $4.13

7.51%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.78 $2.78

-35.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.62 $1.62

-20.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.94 $5.94

-45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$7.38 $7.38

-39.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.00 $1.00

55.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$4.18 $4.18

-26.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$6.34 $6.34

-60.09%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.94 $3.94

-12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$12.31 $12.31

-40.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$10.79 $10.79

-5.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$10.97 $10.97

28.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.09 $5.09

-55.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.18 $1.18

38.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.25 $4.25

12.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.77 $4.77

-65.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.80 $2.80

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.01 $3.01

24.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.21 $2.21

-50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.47 $1.47

76.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$10.18 $10.18

-49.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$14.99 $14.99

32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.95 $1.95

43.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.28 $3.28

7.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.03 $2.03

-39.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.02 $3.02

-28.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.49 $1.49

4.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$29.22 $29.22

-70.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.81 $0.81

91.36%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.1K $25.1K

37.47%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$25.4K $25.4K

52.68%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$280 $280

-66.17%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$57.6 $57.6

-37.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$69.1 $69.1

-23.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$36.96 $36.96

99.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$14.18 $14.18

-44.22%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,249 $1,249

-60.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$22.9K $22.9K

-48.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$53.7 $53.7

2.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$41.58 $41.58

34.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$87.0 $87.0

-7.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$108 $108

-28.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,833 $1,833

-56.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,484 $1,484

-46.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,318 $2,318

72.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,967 $1,967

-28.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,546 $1,546

356.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,550 $1,550

-20.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$2,603 $2,603

-65.94%

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 Houghton, MI: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Houghton, MI

$1.5K 54.2% 88% $695

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Houghton, MI

$377 13.8% 7.9% $28

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Houghton, MI

$253 9.3% 19% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Houghton, MI

$407 14.9% 121% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Houghton, MI

$131 4.8% 8.1% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Houghton, MI

$65 2.4% 27.1% $24

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Houghton, MI

$19 * 0.7% 79.1% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $1,833 in Houghton, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houghton, MI pays 194% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $40.00 in Houghton, MI. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $377, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Houghton, MI

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

14:49 2:49 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

8,000

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Houghton, MI 4,140 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Houghton, MI

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 Houghton, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 194% lower in Houghton, MI. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $1,833 in Houghton, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Houghton, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $2,736 in Houghton, MI – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,736 in Houghton, MI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Houghton, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Houghton, MI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Houghton, MI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Houghton, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.