Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mount Pleasant, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,569 in Mount Pleasant, SC, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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 Mount Pleasant, SC
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Mount Pleasant, SC Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Mount Pleasant, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mount Pleasant, SC

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 Mount Pleasant, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,569 in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Nosara $1,837
Mount Pleasant, SC $2,569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $3,832 in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Nosara $2,775
Mount Pleasant, SC $3,832

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $5,095 in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Nosara $3,712
Mount Pleasant, SC $5,095

Living in Nosara costs roughly 28% less than in Mount Pleasant, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Mount Pleasant, SC 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$20.23 $20.23

-39.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$80.4 $80.4

-25.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.93 $10.93

-31.02%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$5.65 $5.65

-23.72%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.74 $2.74

-37.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.24 $2.24

-39.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$6.16 $6.16

-47.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$8.20 $8.20

-45.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.01 $1.01

55.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$4.19 $4.19

-24.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.29 $3.29

-26.44%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.26 $4.26

-16.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$16.77 $16.77

-55.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$14.49 $14.49

-28.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$18.00 $18.00

-24.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$5.18 $5.18

-55.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.50 $1.50

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$4.66 $4.66

1.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$4.70 $4.70

-64.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.72 $3.72

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$3.18 $3.18

12.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.98 $1.98

-44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$2.26 $2.26

12.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$10.12 $10.12

-51.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$15.73 $15.73

27.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.42 $2.42

15.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.03 $3.03

16.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.20 $2.20

-45.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.94 $2.94

-23.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.21 $1.21

28.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$29.68 $29.68

-70.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.98 $0.98

60.20%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$34.6K $34.6K

-36.99%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$25.0K $25.0K

38.53%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$173 $173

-45.86%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$66.3 $66.3

-47.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$81.3 $81.3

-36.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$41.67 $41.67

71.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$14.25 $14.25

-44.98%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$1,277 $1,277

-61.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$24.7K $24.7K

-51.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$50.8 $50.8

5.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$36.74 $36.74

51.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$96.2 $96.2

-17.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$138 $138

-42.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,574 $1,574

-50.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,177 $1,177

-33.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,731 $2,731

41.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$2,095 $2,095

-32.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,793 $2,793

149.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,657 $2,657

-54.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.48

33.02%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mount Pleasant, SC: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$1.2K 47.1% 50.9% $397

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$438 17.6% 25.4% $89

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$330 13.2% 57.3% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$320 12.8% 77.9% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$145 5.8% 20.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$70 2.8% 19.4% $17

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$18 * 0.7% 79.5% $69

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 $786 in Nosara and $1,574 in Mount Pleasant, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $80.0 in Mount Pleasant, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $438 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Mount Pleasant, SC

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

14:32 2:32 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

15,202

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mount Pleasant, SC 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mount Pleasant, SC

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 Mount Pleasant, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Mount Pleasant, SC differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $2,569 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,756 in Nosara and $3,854 in Mount Pleasant, SC 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: $786 in Nosara versus $1,574 in Mount Pleasant, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Mount Pleasant, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $2,569 in Mount Pleasant, SC – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,569 in Mount Pleasant, SC, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Mount Pleasant, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Mount Pleasant, SC 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 40% less than in Mount Pleasant, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.