Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Severn, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,524 in Severn, MD, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Severn, MD
🇺🇸 United States
$2,524
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Severn, MD

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 Severn, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,524 in Severn, MD, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,835
  • Severn, MD $2,524

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,800 in Severn, MD, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,825
  • Severn, MD $3,800

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $5,076 in Severn, MD, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,814
  • Severn, MD $5,076

Nosara is about 27% cheaper than Severn, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Severn, MD sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Severn, MD by 86%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Severn, MD
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.34 ₡5,535
$17.95 $17.95
-31.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 ₡27.5K
$96.7 $96.7
-36.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.76 ₡3,481
$10.53 $10.53
-26.31%
Cappuccino
$4.44 ₡1,992
$5.24 $5.24
-15.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₡803
$3.01 $3.01
-40.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 ₡580
$2.50 $2.50
-48.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,451
$6.86 $6.86
-52.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.43 ₡1,985
$8.16 $8.16
-45.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Severn, MD
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡696
$1.10 $1.10
40.91%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 ₡1,380
$3.96 $3.96
-22.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 ₡1,133
$4.20 $4.20
-39.76%
Eggs
$3.45 ₡1,546
$4.97 $4.97
-30.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 ₡3,284
$12.66 $12.66
-42.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.24 ₡4,594
$12.80 $12.80
-20.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.10 ₡6,326
$18.19 $18.19
-22.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 ₡1,027
$5.71 $5.71
-59.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 ₡737
$1.53 $1.53
7.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.79 ₡2,149
$4.74 $4.74
1.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 ₡735
$4.92 $4.92
-66.67%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ₡1,727
$2.83 $2.83
36.04%
Onion (1kg)
$3.75 ₡1,681
$2.83 $2.83
32.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 ₡488
$2.36 $2.36
-53.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 ₡1,160
$2.28 $2.28
13.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 ₡2,295
$9.36 $9.36
-45.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.92 ₡8,931
$15.79 $15.79
26.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₡1,255
$2.57 $2.57
8.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 ₡1,580
$2.94 $2.94
19.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Severn, MD
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 ₡549
$2.00 $2.00
-39.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 ₡973
$1.77 $1.77
22.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 ₡698
$1.27 $1.27
22.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.67 ₡3,886
$24.11 $24.11
-64.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 ₡697
$1.02 $1.02
51.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$28.9K $28.9K
19.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K ₡17.4M
$26.0K $26.0K
48.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Severn, MD
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.8 ₡42.5K
$160 $160
-40.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.15 ₡16.2K
$52.4 $52.4
-30.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ₡23.8K
$62.9 $62.9
-15.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Severn, MD
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.8 ₡33.1K
$41.73 $41.73
76.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 ₡3,548
$14.63 $14.63
-45.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Severn, MD
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡219.9K
$1,607 $1,607
-69.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$35.5K $35.5K
-66.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Severn, MD
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.8 ₡24.6K
$52.6 $52.6
4.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.9 ₡25.1K
$61.5 $61.5
-9.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.4 ₡36.0K
$93.4 $93.4
-13.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$111 $111
-30.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Severn, MD
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 ₡359.1K
$1,568 $1,568
-48.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 ₡354.1K
$1,281 $1,281
-38.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,005 ₡1.8M
$2,558 $2,558
56.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 ₡632.0K
$2,168 $2,168
-34.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,064 ₡3.2M
$2,999 $2,999
135.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 ₡554.3K
$2,093 $2,093
-40.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Severn, MD
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$887 ₡397.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
6.72
28.27%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Severn, MD: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$790
Severn, MD
$1.3K 62.2% $491
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Severn, MD
$426 21.9% $77
Eating Out
Nosara
$213
Severn, MD
$311 46.1% $98
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$184
Severn, MD
$275 49.7% $91
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$121
Severn, MD
$143 18.5% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$90
Severn, MD
$71 20.8% $19
Getting Around
Nosara
$89
Severn, MD
$16 * 81.9% $73

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 $1,568 in Severn, MD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $97.0 in Severn, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $426 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇺🇸 Severn, MD
🕒 Local time
14:00 2:00 PM
16:00 4:00 PM
2 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
44,231
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Severn, MD 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Severn, MD

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 Severn, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Severn, MD compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $2,524 in Severn, MD – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Severn, MD?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,786 in Severn, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Severn, MD?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $97.0 in Severn, MD. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 22% more in Severn, MD, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Severn, MD at $2,524. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Severn, MD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Severn, MD?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,835 in Nosara to $2,524 in Severn, MD. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Severn, MD safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Severn, MD?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Severn, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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