Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lake Havasu City, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Havasu City, AZ: $1,051 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Lake Havasu City, AZ
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Lake Havasu City, AZ Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Lake Havasu City, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lake Havasu City, AZ

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 Lake Havasu City, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,051 in Lake Havasu City, AZ, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Lake Havasu City, AZ $1,051

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,631 in Lake Havasu City, AZ, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Lake Havasu City, AZ $1,631

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,210 in Lake Havasu City, AZ, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Lake Havasu City, AZ $2,210

Nosara costs about 75% more than Lake Havasu City, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Lake Havasu City, AZ is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$19.70 $19.70

-37.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$54.1 $54.1

13.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$12.46 $12.46

-39.65%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.22 $5.22

-15.52%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.15 $3.15

-44.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.97 $1.97

-33.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.29 $5.29

-38.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.95 $4.95

-9.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.84 $0.84

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.30 $3.30

-8.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$6.30 $6.30

-60.16%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.04 $2.04

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.80 $10.80

-31.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.43 $5.43

93.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.74 $6.74

107.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.15 $2.15

9.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.94 $1.94

-17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.26 $2.26

112.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.16 $2.16

-25.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.16 $2.16

75.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.24 $2.24

64.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.02 $1.02

10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.98 $0.98

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.86 $10.86

-52.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.07 $8.07

146.34%

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

$3.02 $3.02

20.20%

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

$2.69 $2.69

-20.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.42 $1.42

10.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$35.96 $35.96

-76.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.14 $1.14

33.33%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.6K $35.6K

-39.36%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.8K $25.8K

33.90%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$186 $186

-48.13%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$19.64 $19.64

82.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$78.2 $78.2

-31.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.85 $13.85

-43.03%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,795 $1,795

-72.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$23.6K $23.6K

-49.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$62.6 $62.6

-13.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$42.72 $42.72

29.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$110 $110

-29.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$137 $137

-41.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,969 $2,969

132.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,705 $2,705

-54.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,527 $2,527

-65.82%

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 Lake Havasu City, AZ: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Lake Havasu City, AZ

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Lake Havasu City, AZ

$258 24.5% 26.9% $95

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Lake Havasu City, AZ

$314 29.9% 48.4% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Lake Havasu City, AZ

$283 27% 52.6% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Lake Havasu City, AZ

$159 15.1% 32% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lake Havasu City, AZ

$28 * 2.6% 68.3% $60

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Lake Havasu City, AZ

$9.8 * 0.9% 88.8% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 193% higher in Lake Havasu City, AZ, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $54.0 in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $258 – making Lake Havasu City, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Lake Havasu City, AZ

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

16:50 4:50 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

57,144

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Lake Havasu City, AZ 3,990 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lake Havasu City, AZ

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 Lake Havasu City, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 75%, 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 $1,577 in Lake Havasu City, AZ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 37% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Lake Havasu City, AZ, where all-in costs run around $1,051, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Lake Havasu City, AZ it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lake Havasu City, AZ – 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 Lake Havasu City, AZ. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.