Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and New Smyrna Beach, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,721 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in New Smyrna Beach, FL
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New Smyrna Beach, FL Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

New Smyrna Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in New Smyrna Beach, FL

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 New Smyrna Beach, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,721 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
New Smyrna Beach, FL $2,721

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,907 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
New Smyrna Beach, FL $3,907

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $5,093 in New Smyrna Beach, FL, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
New Smyrna Beach, FL $5,093

Nosara is about 32% cheaper than New Smyrna Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and New Smyrna Beach, FL sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, New Smyrna Beach, FL by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$19.75 $19.75

-37.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$81.4 $81.4

-24.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$11.35 $11.35

-33.74%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$6.14 $6.14

-28.18%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.15 $3.15

-44.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.27 $2.27

-42.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.89 $6.89

-52.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.97 $6.97

-35.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.05 $1.05

48.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.28 $3.28

-7.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.41 $2.41

4.15%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.30 $4.30

-16.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.79 $11.79

-36.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.63 $9.63

9.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$15.90 $15.90

-12.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.76 $5.76

-59.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.48 $1.48

8.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.17 $4.17

15.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.55 $4.55

-64.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.45 $2.45

55.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.95 $2.95

25.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.54 $1.54

-26.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.80 $1.80

47.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$8.34 $8.34

-37.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.28 $13.28

49.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.14 $2.14

35.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.90 $2.90

25.17%

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

$1.53 $1.53

39.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.16 $1.16

35.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$13.89 $13.89

-38.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.95 $0.95

60.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$26.9K $26.9K

-19.73%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.9K $25.9K

33.24%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$191 $191

-49.56%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$63.3 $63.3

-43.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$69.7 $69.7

-23.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$25.14 $25.14

184.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.43 $13.43

-41.25%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$619 $619

-20.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$12.2K $12.2K

-2.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$52.9 $52.9

1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$48.00 $48.00

15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$86.6 $86.6

-10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$115 $115

-30.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,672 $1,672

-52.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,503 $1,503

-47.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,476 $2,476

59.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,363 $2,363

-39.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,639 $2,639

161.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,334 $2,334

-47.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$7,382 $7,382

-88.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.69

28.85%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for New Smyrna Beach, FL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$1.5K 55.3% 89.2% $709

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$363 13.3% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$336 12.3% 58.5% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$324 11.9% 74.3% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$136 5% 13.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$52 1.9% 40.5% $35

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

New Smyrna Beach, FL

$7.4 * 0.3% 91.6% $80

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 $1,672 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. 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 755% higher in New Smyrna Beach, FL, 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 $81.0 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $363 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 New Smyrna Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

17:44 5:44 PM

19:44 7:44 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

30,142

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 New Smyrna Beach, FL 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
New Smyrna Beach, FL

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 New Smyrna Beach, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,721 in New Smyrna Beach, FL – roughly 48% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $4,081 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. 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 $81.0 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in New Smyrna Beach, FL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in New Smyrna Beach, FL at $2,721. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Smyrna Beach, FL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,721 in New Smyrna Beach, FL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, New Smyrna Beach, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.