Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Midland, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,137 in Midland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Midland, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Midland, TX
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Midland, TX Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Midland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,137

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Midland, TX

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 Midland, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,137 in Midland, TX, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Midland, TX $2,137

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,947 in Midland, TX, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Midland, TX $2,947

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,758 in Midland, TX, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Midland, TX $3,758

Nosara is about 14% cheaper than Midland, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Midland, TX sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Midland, TX by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$16.07 $16.07

-23.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$55.7 $55.7

9.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.85 $9.85

-23.65%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.16 $5.16

-14.53%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$4.66 $4.66

-62.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$4.36 $4.36

-69.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$10.07 $10.07

-67.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$12.20 $12.20

-63.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.82 $0.82

90.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.38 $3.38

-10.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.39 $4.39

-42.82%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.94 $2.94

21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.20 $11.20

-33.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.08 $1.08

49.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.76 $1.76

-35.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.02 $2.02

31.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$12.20 $12.20

-57.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.76 $14.76

34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.72 $1.72

68.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

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

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$53.3 $53.3

-32.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$71.4 $71.4

-24.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$10.04 $10.04

613.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.67 $12.67

-37.73%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$79.4 $79.4

-32.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$29.46 $29.46

88.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$152 $152

-48.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$150 $150

-47.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,530 $1,530

-48.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,280 $1,280

-37.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,095 $2,095

87.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,806 $1,806

-21.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,029 $2,029

240.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,029 $2,029

-39.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$5,648 $5,648

-84.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.92

24.57%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Midland, TX: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Midland, TX

$1.3K 59.9% 61.2% $486

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Midland, TX

$181 * 8.5% 48.7% $171

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Midland, TX

$331 15.5% 56.2% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Midland, TX

$125 * 5.8% 32.9% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Midland, TX

$185 8.7% 54% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Midland, TX

$35 1.7% 59.5% $52

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Midland, TX

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,530 in Midland, TX. 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 554% higher in Midland, TX, 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 $56.0 in Midland, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $181 – making Midland, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Midland, TX

🕒 Local time

12:30 12:30 PM

13:30 1:30 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

132,524

💱 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 Midland, TX 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Midland, TX

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 Midland, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Midland, TX costs about 16% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,206 in Midland, TX. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $2,137 in Midland, TX. That's a gap of about 16%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 95% cheaper in Midland, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Midland, TX at $2,137. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Midland, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,137 in Midland, TX. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Midland, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.