Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Saint Joseph, MI

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Saint Joseph, MI: $1,835 and $1,867 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Saint Joseph, MI
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Saint Joseph, MI Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Saint Joseph, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Saint Joseph, MI

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 Saint Joseph, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,867 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Saint Joseph, MI $1,867

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,986 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Saint Joseph, MI $2,986

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,106 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Saint Joseph, MI $4,106

Nosara is about 2% cheaper than Saint Joseph, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Saint Joseph, MI sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Saint Joseph, MI by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$13.79 $13.79

-10.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$73.9 $73.9

-16.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$8.97 $8.97

-13.49%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.93 $3.93

12.98%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.91 $2.91

-38.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.02 $2.02

-36.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$4.09 $4.09

-20.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.01 $5.01

-11.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.77 $0.77

101.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.75 $2.75

12.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.85 $2.85

-11.23%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.57 $3.57

-3.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$7.78 $7.78

-5.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$10.81 $10.81

-5.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$8.30 $8.30

69.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.56 $5.56

-58.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.67 $1.67

-1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$3.59 $3.59

33.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$5.51 $5.51

-70.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.75 $1.75

120.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.23 $3.23

16.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.67 $1.67

-34.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.44 $2.44

6.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$12.19 $12.19

-58.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$8.04 $8.04

147.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.77 $1.77

58.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.57 $3.57

-1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.29 $2.29

-46.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.35 $3.35

-35.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.88 $1.88

-17.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$34.31 $34.31

-74.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.86 $0.86

80.23%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.3K $24.3K

42.40%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$25.6K $25.6K

51.49%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$176 $176

-46.24%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$52.6 $52.6

-31.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$51.7 $51.7

2.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$42.46 $42.46

73.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$10.51 $10.51

-24.74%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,509 $1,509

-67.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$22.3K $22.3K

-46.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$40.17 $40.17

36.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$50.6 $50.6

10.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$76.4 $76.4

5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$75.9 $75.9

2.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,066 $1,066

-24.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$834 $834

-5.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,878 $1,878

113.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,771 $1,771

-20.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,873 $2,873

145.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,287 $2,287

-45.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$4,921 $4,921

-81.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.43

34.06%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Saint Joseph, MI: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Saint Joseph, MI

$834 44.7% 5.6% $44

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Saint Joseph, MI

$323 17.3% 7.7% $27

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Saint Joseph, MI

$235 12.6% 10.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Saint Joseph, MI

$281 15% 52.5% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Saint Joseph, MI

$109 5.9% 9.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Saint Joseph, MI

$63 3.4% 29.2% $26

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Saint Joseph, MI

$22 * 1.2% 75.3% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,066 in Saint Joseph, MI. 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 455% higher in Saint Joseph, MI, 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 $74.0 in Saint Joseph, MI. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $323 in Saint Joseph, MI – so Saint Joseph, MI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MI

🕒 Local time

06:23 6:23 AM

08:23 8:23 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

76,780

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Saint Joseph, MI 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Saint Joseph, MI

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 Saint Joseph, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,867 in Saint Joseph, MI – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,800 in Saint Joseph, MI. 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 $74.0 in Saint Joseph, MI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Saint Joseph, MI – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Saint Joseph, MI at $1,867. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Joseph, MI 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 $1,835 in Nosara to $1,867 in Saint Joseph, MI. 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, Saint Joseph, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.