Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Mountain Home, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Mountain Home, ID
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Mountain Home, ID Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Mountain Home, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Nosara versus $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID.

Nosara $1,844
Mountain Home, ID $2,720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,817 in Nosara versus $3,919 in Mountain Home, ID.

Nosara $2,817
Mountain Home, ID $3,919

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,790 in Nosara versus $5,118 in Mountain Home, ID.

Nosara $3,790
Mountain Home, ID $5,118

Living in Nosara costs roughly 32% less than in Mountain Home, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Mountain Home, ID 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,568

$22.66 $22.66

-45.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$86.0 $86.0

-29.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$10.36 $10.36

-24.61%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$4.60 $4.60

-5.00%

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

$1.78 ₡800

$2.77 $2.77

-35.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$2.07 $2.07

-34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$5.37 $5.37

-36.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,939

$8.25 $8.25

-47.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.00 $1.00

55.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,425

$3.65 $3.65

-13.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,130

$4.51 $4.51

-44.35%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.08 $4.08

-13.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,313

$12.37 $12.37

-40.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,703

$11.93 $11.93

-12.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,255

$16.77 $16.77

-17.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$5.18 $5.18

-56.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.66 $1.66

-6.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$4.45 $4.45

5.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$4.62 $4.62

-64.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,746

$2.89 $2.89

34.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$3.04 $3.04

24.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$2.22 $2.22

-51.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$2.10 $2.10

24.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$9.77 $9.77

-47.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,143

$14.80 $14.80

37.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$1.99 $1.99

46.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$3.51 $3.51

4.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.79 $1.79

-26.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$65.0 $65.0

12.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$3.67 $3.67

-40.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡829

$1.83 $1.83

0.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$30.85 $30.85

-74.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.19 $1.19

31.09%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$32.1K $32.1K

4.22%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$27.7K $27.7K

37.35%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$198 $198

-51.65%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$57.8 $57.8

-38.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$70.5 $70.5

-23.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$38.16 $38.16

76.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$13.01 $13.01

-40.66%

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

$496 ₡222.8K

$1,520 $1,520

-67.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$19.6K $19.6K

-39.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$51.8 $51.8

5.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$35.51 $35.51

54.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$102 $102

-21.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$129 $129

-39.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$1,604 $1,604

-49.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.7K

$1,371 $1,371

-41.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$2,767 $2,767

40.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.6K

$2,092 $2,092

-33.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

$3,091 $3,091

125.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.6K

$2,344 $2,344

-47.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.59

30.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Mountain Home, ID

$1.4K 50.4% 71.3% $570

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Mountain Home, ID

$400 14.7% 13.5% $48

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Mountain Home, ID

$330 12.2% 55% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Mountain Home, ID

$327 12% 76.6% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Mountain Home, ID

$143 5.3% 18.8% $23

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Mountain Home, ID

$85 3.1% 5.4% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Mountain Home, ID

$64 2.4% 22.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $817 in Nosara and $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Nosara vs $86 in Mountain Home, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $400 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

11,656

💱 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 = 0.891 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Mountain Home, ID 4,690 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,765 in Nosara and $4,079 in Mountain Home, ID 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: $817 in Nosara versus $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,844 per month in Nosara versus $2,720 in Mountain Home, ID – Nosara is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Mountain Home, ID runs roughly 11% less than in Nosara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.