Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Howell Township, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,640 in Howell Township, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Howell Township, NJ
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Howell Township, NJ Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Howell Township, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,640

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Howell Township, NJ

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 Howell Township, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,640 in Howell Township, NJ.

Nosara $1,835
Howell Township, NJ $2,640

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $3,838 in Howell Township, NJ.

Nosara $2,825
Howell Township, NJ $3,838

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $5,036 in Howell Township, NJ.

Nosara $3,814
Howell Township, NJ $5,036

Living in Nosara costs roughly 30% less than in Howell Township, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Howell Township, NJ 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$19.86 $19.86

-37.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$75.8 $75.8

-19.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.72 $11.72

-33.79%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.25 $5.25

-15.43%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.73 $2.73

-34.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.06 $2.06

-37.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.85 $5.85

-44.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$7.27 $7.27

-39.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.47 $1.47

5.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.75 $3.75

-17.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.33 $4.33

-41.57%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$4.22 $4.22

-18.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$11.98 $11.98

-38.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$12.08 $12.08

-15.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$17.34 $17.34

-18.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.28 $4.28

-46.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.34 $1.34

22.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.37 $4.37

9.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.01 $4.01

-59.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.97 $2.97

29.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.29 $3.29

13.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.22 $2.22

-50.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.19 $2.19

18.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$9.85 $9.85

-48.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$14.36 $14.36

38.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.04 $2.04

37.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.33 $3.33

5.71%

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

$2.85 $2.85

-23.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.87 $1.87

-16.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$26.28 $26.28

-67.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.11 $1.11

39.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.8K $28.8K

19.98%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$29.2K $29.2K

32.55%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$197 $197

-51.85%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$57.2 $57.2

-36.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$126 $126

-57.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$41.49 $41.49

77.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$13.98 $13.98

-43.42%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,443 $1,443

-66.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$21.8K $21.8K

-45.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$57.2 $57.2

-4.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$46.79 $46.79

19.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$88.4 $88.4

-9.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$113 $113

-30.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,574 $1,574

-49.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,314 $1,314

-39.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,472 $2,472

61.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,171 $2,171

-35.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,422 $2,422

191.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,368 $2,368

-47.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$2,983 $2,983

-70.28%

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 Howell Township, NJ: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Howell Township, NJ

$1.3K 49.8% 66.5% $525

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Howell Township, NJ

$398 15.1% 13.8% $48

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Howell Township, NJ

$320 12.1% 50.5% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Howell Township, NJ

$380 14.4% 107% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Howell Township, NJ

$137 5.2% 13.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Howell Township, NJ

$69 2.6% 22.5% $20

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Howell Township, NJ

$20 * 0.8% 77.1% $68

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 $1,574 in Howell Township, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Howell Township, NJ pays 236% 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 $76.0 in Howell Township, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $398 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Howell Township, NJ

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

12:20 12:20 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

53,000

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Howell Township, NJ 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Howell Township, NJ

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 Howell Township, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 236% lower in Howell Township, NJ. 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 $1,574 in Howell Township, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Howell Township, NJ. 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 $2,640 in Howell Township, NJ – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,640 in Howell Township, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Howell Township, NJ. 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 Howell Township, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Howell Township, NJ 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 44% less than in Howell Township, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.