Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and North Brunswick, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
121

Cost of Living Index in North Brunswick, NJ
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North Brunswick, NJ Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

North Brunswick, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in North Brunswick, NJ

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 North Brunswick, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ.

Nosara $1,835
North Brunswick, NJ $2,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $3,632 in North Brunswick, NJ.

Nosara $2,825
North Brunswick, NJ $3,632

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $4,623 in North Brunswick, NJ.

Nosara $3,814
North Brunswick, NJ $4,623

Living in Nosara costs roughly 31% less than in North Brunswick, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, North Brunswick, NJ 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$20.38 $20.38

-39.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$60.4 $60.4

1.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$12.05 $12.05

-35.60%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.04 $3.04

46.05%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.68 $2.68

-33.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.18 $1.18

9.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$6.64 $6.64

-51.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.94 $5.94

-25.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.11 $1.11

39.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.60 $1.60

92.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$5.62 $5.62

-54.98%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$4.59 $4.59

-24.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$13.21 $13.21

-44.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$17.20 $17.20

-40.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$15.96 $15.96

-11.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.96 $3.96

-42.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.86 $1.86

-11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.27 $4.27

12.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$6.02 $6.02

-72.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.23 $3.23

19.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.37 $3.37

11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.32 $2.32

-53.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.04 $2.04

26.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$14.66 $14.66

-65.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$18.04 $18.04

10.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.60 $2.60

7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$4.11 $4.11

-14.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.99 $1.99

-38.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.81 $2.81

-22.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$3.67 $3.67

-57.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$49.62 $49.62

-82.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.99 $0.99

56.57%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.4K $27.4K

26.13%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$26.5K $26.5K

46.31%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$127 $127

-25.32%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$47.32 $47.32

-23.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$56.7 $56.7

-6.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$47.51 $47.51

55.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$13.03 $13.03

-39.29%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,418 $1,418

-65.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$23.3K $23.3K

-48.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$54.1 $54.1

1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$50.5 $50.5

10.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$122 $122

-34.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$132 $132

-40.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,430 $1,430

-44.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,423 $1,423

-44.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,221 $2,221

80.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,902 $1,902

-25.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,715 $2,715

160.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,046 $2,046

-39.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.01

22.97%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for North Brunswick, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

North Brunswick, NJ

$1.4K 53.9% 80.2% $634

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

North Brunswick, NJ

$427 16.2% 22.1% $77

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

North Brunswick, NJ

$296 11.2% 39.3% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

North Brunswick, NJ

$231 8.8% 25.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

North Brunswick, NJ

$161 6.1% 33.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

North Brunswick, NJ

$74 2.8% 17.9% $16

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

North Brunswick, NJ

$29 * 1.1% 67.2% $60

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 $801 in Nosara and $1,430 in North Brunswick, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $60.0 in North Brunswick, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $427, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 North Brunswick, NJ

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

04:06 4:06 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

43,905

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara North Brunswick, NJ 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
North Brunswick, NJ

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 North Brunswick, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $3,962 in North Brunswick, NJ 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: $801 in Nosara versus $1,430 in North Brunswick, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $1,418 in North Brunswick, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $60.0 in North Brunswick, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in North Brunswick, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in North Brunswick, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and North Brunswick, NJ 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 44% less than in North Brunswick, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.