Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Newport News, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,738 in Newport News, VA, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Newport News, VA
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Newport News, VA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Newport News, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Newport News, VA

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 Newport News, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,738 in Newport News, VA.

Nosara $1,839
Newport News, VA $2,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,798 in Newport News, VA.

Nosara $2,828
Newport News, VA $3,798

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,858 in Newport News, VA.

Nosara $3,818
Newport News, VA $4,858

Living in Nosara costs roughly 33% less than in Newport News, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Newport News, VA 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$28.29 $28.29

-56.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$60.8 $60.8

0.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.44 $10.44

-27.97%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$6.17 $6.17

-28.53%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.61 $2.61

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.05 $2.05

-36.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.88 $7.88

-58.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.77 $7.77

-42.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.95 $0.95

64.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.53 $3.53

-14.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.36 $3.36

-25.30%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.86 $2.86

24.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.51 $7.51

-1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$11.13 $11.13

-5.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$18.66 $18.66

-25.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.95 $6.95

-66.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.04 $1.04

54.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.94 $4.94

-2.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.05 $4.05

-60.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.66 $2.66

42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.13 $3.13

17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.02 $2.02

-44.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.68 $2.68

-0.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$7.74 $7.74

-33.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$16.06 $16.06

23.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.76 $1.76

64.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$5.60 $5.60

-35.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.91 $2.91

-61.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$40.13 $40.13

81.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.90 $3.90

-45.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.32 $1.32

18.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$25.22 $25.22

-66.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.98 $0.98

55.10%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.0K $37.0K

-41.59%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.3K $26.3K

31.21%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$209 $209

-53.97%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$79.9 $79.9

-55.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$78.8 $78.8

-31.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$39.56 $39.56

80.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.31 $13.31

-40.72%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$3,164 $3,164

-84.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$40.7K $40.7K

-70.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$54.1 $54.1

-0.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$44.64 $44.64

24.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$103 $103

-24.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$124 $124

-35.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,407 $1,407

-43.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,299 $1,299

-38.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,324 $2,324

69.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,792 $1,792

-20.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,245 $2,245

207.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,236 $2,236

-45.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,938 $3,938

-78.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.54

31.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Newport News, VA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Newport News, VA

$1.3K 47.5% 63.6% $505

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Newport News, VA

$391 14.3% 11.1% $39

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Newport News, VA

$405 14.8% 91.3% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Newport News, VA

$368 13.4% 98.1% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Newport News, VA

$146 5.3% 21.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Newport News, VA

$66 2.4% 24.3% $21

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Newport News, VA

$62 2.3% 28.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,407 in Newport News, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Newport News, VA pays 356% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $61.0 in Newport News, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $391 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Newport News, VA

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

13:52 1:52 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

186,247

💱 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 Newport News, VA 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Newport News, VA

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 Newport News, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Newport News, VA differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $2,738 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 356% lower in Newport News, VA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,407 in Newport News, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $2,738 in Newport News, VA – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 81% less than in Newport News, VA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,738 in Newport News, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Newport News, VA. 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 Newport News, VA 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 49% less than in Newport News, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.