Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Islip, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Islip, NY: $1,268 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Islip, NY
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Islip, NY Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Islip, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,268

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Islip, NY

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 Islip, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,268 in Islip, NY.

Nosara $1,839
Islip, NY $1,268

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,210 in Islip, NY.

Nosara $2,828
Islip, NY $2,210

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,153 in Islip, NY.

Nosara $3,818
Islip, NY $3,153

Living in Nosara is roughly 45% more expensive than in Islip, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Islip, NY is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$26.16 $26.16

-52.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$119 $119

-48.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$14.20 $14.20

-47.04%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.27 $5.27

-16.32%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.93 $2.93

-40.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.35 $2.35

-44.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$8.32 $8.32

-60.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$10.13 $10.13

-55.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.38 $1.38

13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$4.47 $4.47

-32.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.29 $4.29

-41.49%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$5.07 $5.07

-29.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$18.96 $18.96

-60.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$17.69 $17.69

-40.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.64 $16.64

-16.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.26 $4.26

-44.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.33 $1.33

21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.21 $2.21

117.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.89 $2.89

-44.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.70 $1.70

123.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.25 $2.25

64.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.56 $1.56

-27.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.12 $1.12

137.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$15.19 $15.19

-65.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.76 $12.76

55.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.39 $2.39

21.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.90 $3.90

-6.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$4.52 $4.52

-75.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.07 $3.07

-30.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.20 $2.20

-28.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$42.03 $42.03

-79.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.12 $1.12

35.71%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.2K $35.2K

-38.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.1K $26.1K

32.49%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$79.8 $79.8

20.71%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$70.5 $70.5

-49.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$70.4 $70.4

-23.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$59.4 $59.4

20.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$16.13 $16.13

-51.08%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$3,352 $3,352

-85.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$59.7K $59.7K

-80.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$45.57 $45.57

18.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$27.03 $27.03

104.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$76.0 $76.0

2.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$88.9 $88.9

-10.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$2,025 $2,025

-61.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$3,391 $3,391

16.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$4,012 $4,012

-78.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.63

30.02%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Islip, NY: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Islip, NY

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Islip, NY

$418 33% 18.7% $66

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Islip, NY

$398 31.4% 87.9% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Islip, NY

$221 17.4% 18.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Islip, NY

$107 8.4% 11% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Islip, NY

$92 7.2% 4.9% $4.3

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Islip, NY

$32 * 2.5% 63.1% $55

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 $788 in Nosara and $2,025 in Islip, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Islip, NY pays 365% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $119 in Islip, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $418 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Islip, NY

🕒 Local time

23:53 11:53 PM

01:53 1:53 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

339,938

💱 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 Islip, NY 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Islip, NY

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 Islip, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islip, NY is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 365% lower in Islip, NY. 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: $788 in Nosara versus $2,025 in Islip, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $3,352 in Islip, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Islip, NY – a meal for two runs $119 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,268 in Islip, NY versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Islip, NY but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Islip, NY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Nosara and Islip, NY 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 Islip, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.