Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Madison Heights, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,539 in Madison Heights, MI, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Madison Heights, MI
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Madison Heights, MI Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Madison Heights, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Madison Heights, MI

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 Madison Heights, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,539 in Madison Heights, MI.

Nosara $1,839
Madison Heights, MI $2,539

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,711 in Madison Heights, MI.

Nosara $2,828
Madison Heights, MI $3,711

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,883 in Madison Heights, MI.

Nosara $3,818
Madison Heights, MI $4,883

Living in Nosara costs roughly 28% less than in Madison Heights, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Madison Heights, MI 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$17.80 $17.80

-30.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$62.4 $62.4

-1.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.90 $10.90

-31.01%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.62 $5.62

-21.53%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.55 $2.55

-31.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.97 $1.97

-33.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.90 $5.90

-44.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.84 $7.84

-42.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.85 $0.85

83.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.24 $3.24

-6.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.41 $4.41

-43.08%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.97 $3.97

-10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.51 $13.51

-45.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$11.39 $11.39

-7.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.22 $16.22

-13.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.11 $5.11

-54.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.59 $1.59

1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.12 $4.12

16.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.91 $3.91

-58.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.59 $2.59

46.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.04 $3.04

21.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.27 $2.27

-50.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.19 $2.19

21.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$9.95 $9.95

-47.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.12 $15.12

31.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.43 $2.43

19.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.55 $3.55

2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.06 $2.06

-45.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.73 $2.73

-21.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.59 $1.59

-1.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$24.42 $24.42

-65.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.07 $1.07

42.06%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.1K $36.1K

-40.11%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.5K $25.5K

35.26%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$211 $211

-54.38%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$58.9 $58.9

-39.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$69.5 $69.5

-22.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$40.86 $40.86

75.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.13 $12.13

-34.95%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,101 $1,101

-55.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$19.0K $19.0K

-37.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$58.8 $58.8

-8.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$39.47 $39.47

40.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$95.3 $95.3

-18.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$116 $116

-31.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,593 $1,593

-50.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,280 $1,280

-37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,498 $2,498

57.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,185 $2,185

-35.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,745 $2,745

151.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,449 $2,449

-50.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 Madison Heights, MI: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Madison Heights, MI

$1.3K 50.4% 61.1% $485

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Madison Heights, MI

$390 15.4% 10.8% $38

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Madison Heights, MI

$306 12% 44.4% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Madison Heights, MI

$340 13.4% 82.8% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Madison Heights, MI

$139 5.5% 16.2% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Madison Heights, MI

$65 2.6% 25.5% $22

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Madison Heights, MI

$19 * 0.8% 78.3% $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 $788 in Nosara and $1,593 in Madison Heights, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $62.0 in Madison Heights, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $390 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Madison Heights, MI

🕒 Local time

03:13 3:13 AM

05:13 5:13 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

30,042

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Madison Heights, MI 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Madison Heights, MI

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 Madison Heights, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Madison Heights, MI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $3,808 in Madison Heights, MI to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,593 in Madison Heights, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $1,101 in Madison Heights, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $62.0 in Madison Heights, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,539 in Madison Heights, MI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Madison Heights, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Madison Heights, MI 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 38% less than in Madison Heights, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.