Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Monticello, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,407 in Monticello, AR, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Monticello, AR outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Monticello, AR
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Monticello, AR Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monticello, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,407

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Monticello, AR

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 Monticello, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,407 in Monticello, AR, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Monticello, AR $2,407

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,453 in Monticello, AR, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Monticello, AR $3,453

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,499 in Monticello, AR, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Monticello, AR $4,499

Nosara is about 24% cheaper than Monticello, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Monticello, AR sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Monticello, AR by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$18.26 $18.26

-32.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$74.9 $74.9

-18.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$12.03 $12.03

-35.49%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.50 $5.50

-19.27%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.35 $2.35

-23.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.04 $2.04

-36.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$7.13 $7.13

-54.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$8.09 $8.09

-45.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.90 $0.90

72.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.20 $1.20

156.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.08 $2.08

21.63%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.71 $3.71

-7.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$8.88 $8.88

-17.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$6.69 $6.69

53.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$8.85 $8.85

59.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.38 $3.38

-32.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.29 $1.29

27.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.69 $2.69

78.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$2.17 $2.17

-24.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.26 $3.26

18.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.31 $2.31

62.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.84 $1.84

-40.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.23 $2.23

16.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$9.47 $9.47

-45.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$12.74 $12.74

56.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.78 $1.78

57.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.60 $1.60

120.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.30 $2.30

-46.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.96 $1.96

10.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.39 $1.39

12.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$20.32 $20.32

-57.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.96 $0.96

61.46%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.6K $27.6K

25.05%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$27.2K $27.2K

42.47%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$190 $190

-50.06%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$40.07 $40.07

-9.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$45.59 $45.59

16.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$42.43 $42.43

73.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$10.98 $10.98

-27.96%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,219 $1,219

-59.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$24.8K $24.8K

-52.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$23.74 $23.74

130.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$33.03 $33.03

69.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$69.0 $69.0

16.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$150 $150

-48.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,584 $1,584

-49.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,345 $1,345

-41.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,702 $2,702

48.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,132 $2,132

-33.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,660 $2,660

165.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,221 $2,221

-44.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.6

30.61%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Monticello, AR: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Monticello, AR

$1.3K 55.9% 70.3% $555

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Monticello, AR

$263 10.9% 24.8% $87

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Monticello, AR

$318 13.2% 49.3% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Monticello, AR

$276 11.5% 49.7% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Monticello, AR

$124 5.2% 2.6% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Monticello, AR

$64 2.7% 28.1% $25

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Monticello, AR

$18 * 0.8% 79.6% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,584 in Monticello, AR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $75.0 in Monticello, AR. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $263 in Monticello, AR – so Monticello, AR wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Monticello, AR

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

18:28 6:28 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

11,414

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Monticello, AR 2,700 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Monticello, AR

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 Monticello, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Monticello, AR is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,611 in Monticello, AR. 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 $75.0 in Monticello, AR. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 33% cheaper in Monticello, AR – 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 $1,835, than in Monticello, AR at $2,407. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monticello, AR 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, Monticello, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.