Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lancaster, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,584 in Lancaster, PA, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Lancaster, PA
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Lancaster, PA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Lancaster, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,584

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lancaster, PA

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 Lancaster, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,584 in Lancaster, PA.

Nosara $1,839
Lancaster, PA $2,584

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,755 in Lancaster, PA.

Nosara $2,828
Lancaster, PA $3,755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,926 in Lancaster, PA.

Nosara $3,818
Lancaster, PA $4,926

Living in Nosara costs roughly 29% less than in Lancaster, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Lancaster, PA 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$21.65 $21.65

-42.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$65.0 $65.0

-5.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.88 $11.88

-36.70%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.13 $5.13

-14.04%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.47 $2.47

-29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.06 $2.06

-36.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.92 $5.92

-44.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.09 $7.09

-36.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.14 $1.14

36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.86 $2.86

5.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.78 $3.78

-33.60%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.67 $4.67

-23.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$14.19 $14.19

-47.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.31 $9.31

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.99 $14.99

-6.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$9.95 $9.95

-76.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.46 $1.46

10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.91 $4.91

-2.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.06 $5.06

-68.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.22 $2.22

71.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.66 $2.66

38.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.39 $2.39

-52.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.32 $2.32

14.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.91 $11.91

-56.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.97 $11.97

66.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.59 $2.59

11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.14 $3.14

15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.68 $1.68

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$42.03 $42.03

72.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.87 $4.87

-56.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.06 $3.06

-48.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$35.29 $35.29

-75.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.98 $0.98

55.10%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.4K $36.4K

-40.57%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.1K $26.1K

32.33%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$270 $270

-64.36%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$67.3 $67.3

-46.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$78.8 $78.8

-31.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$46.86 $46.86

52.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$44.16 $44.16

-20.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$17.07 $17.07

-53.78%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$565 $565

-12.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$65.5K $65.5K

-81.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$61.1 $61.1

-11.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$49.97 $49.97

10.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$95.2 $95.2

-18.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$106 $106

-25.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,406 $1,406

-43.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,140 $1,140

-30.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,142 $2,142

83.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,849 $1,849

-23.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,405 $2,405

187.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,451 $2,451

-50.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$4,044 $4,044

-78.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.26

37.70%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lancaster, PA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Lancaster, PA

$1.1K 44.1% 43.6% $346

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Lancaster, PA

$404 15.6% 14.7% $52

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Lancaster, PA

$332 12.9% 56.9% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Lancaster, PA

$416 16.1% 124% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Lancaster, PA

$141 5.5% 17.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lancaster, PA

$81 3.1% 7.3% $6.4

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Lancaster, PA

$69 2.7% 20.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,406 in Lancaster, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lancaster, PA pays 368% 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 $65.0 in Lancaster, PA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $404 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Lancaster, PA

🕒 Local time

04:44 4:44 AM

06:44 6:44 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

59,322

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Lancaster, PA 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lancaster, PA

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 Lancaster, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 368% lower in Lancaster, PA. 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 $1,406 in Lancaster, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $65.0 in Lancaster, PA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $2,584 in Lancaster, PA – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,584 in Lancaster, PA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Lancaster, PA. 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 Lancaster, PA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Lancaster, PA 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 41% less than in Lancaster, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.