Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Johnson City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,099 in Johnson City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,099

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,099 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Johnson City, TN $2,099

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,126 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Johnson City, TN $3,126

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,153 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Johnson City, TN $4,153

Nosara is about 12% cheaper than Johnson City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Johnson City, TN sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Johnson City, TN by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$14.27 $14.27

-13.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$54.1 $54.1

13.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.89 $9.89

-23.96%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.32 $5.32

-17.11%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.94 $2.94

-40.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.95 $1.95

-32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.90 $4.90

-33.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.86 $5.86

-23.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.01 $1.01

54.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.92 $3.92

-22.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.87 $3.87

-35.14%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.20 $3.20

11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.31 $7.31

1.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$13.57 $13.57

-22.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.99 $12.99

7.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$7.75 $7.75

-69.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.79 $1.79

-10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.94 $3.94

21.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.61 $3.61

-55.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.50 $3.50

8.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$4.20 $4.20

-12.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.24 $2.24

-49.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.31 $2.31

15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$8.06 $8.06

-35.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.10 $13.10

51.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.70 $1.70

70.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.42 $4.42

-17.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.46 $2.46

-54.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$37.08 $37.08

95.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.37 $5.37

-60.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.48 $1.48

6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$15.07 $15.07

-43.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.88 $0.88

72.73%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$32.1K $32.1K

-32.65%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$21.7K $21.7K

59.30%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$176 $176

-45.33%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$52.0 $52.0

-31.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$63.3 $63.3

-15.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$47.50 $47.50

50.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$19.61 $19.61

78.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.77 $11.77

-32.97%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,224 $1,224

-59.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.6K $14.6K

-18.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$36.93 $36.93

46.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$30.74 $30.74

80.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$86.9 $86.9

-10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$95.3 $95.3

-16.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,085 $1,085

-27.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$912 $912

-12.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,031 $2,031

93.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,583 $1,583

-10.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,201 $2,201

213.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,159 $2,159

-43.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,505 $3,505

-75.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.49

32.82%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Johnson City, TN: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Johnson City, TN

$912 43.5% 14.8% $118

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Johnson City, TN

$389 18.5% 10.4% $37

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Johnson City, TN

$263 12.6% 24.4% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Johnson City, TN

$291 13.9% 56.9% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Johnson City, TN

$112 5.4% 6.4% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.4% 18.7% $16

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Johnson City, TN

$60 2.8% 31.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,085 in Johnson City, TN. 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 306% higher in Johnson City, TN, 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 $54.0 in Johnson City, TN. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $389 in Johnson City, TN – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🕒 Local time

04:18 4:18 AM

06:18 6:18 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

66,027

💱 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 Johnson City, TN 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Johnson City, TN is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,148 in Johnson City, TN. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $54.0 in Johnson City, TN. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $2,099 in Johnson City, TN. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Johnson City, TN at $2,099. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johnson City, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Johnson City, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.