Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Shelby Township, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,609 in Shelby Township, MI, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Shelby Township, MI
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Shelby Township, MI Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Shelby Township, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Shelby Township, 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 Shelby Township, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,609 in Shelby Township, MI, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Shelby Township, MI $2,609

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,806 in Shelby Township, MI, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Shelby Township, MI $3,806

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $5,003 in Shelby Township, MI, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Shelby Township, MI $5,003

Nosara is about 30% cheaper than Shelby Township, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Shelby Township, MI sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Shelby Township, MI by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$19.60 $19.60

-37.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$75.1 $75.1

-18.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.35 $11.35

-31.63%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.41 $5.41

-17.93%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.62 $2.62

-31.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.94 $1.94

-33.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.36 $5.36

-39.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$8.02 $8.02

-44.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.12 $1.12

38.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.03 $3.03

1.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.67 $4.67

-45.82%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$4.69 $4.69

-26.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$13.57 $13.57

-46.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$11.48 $11.48

-10.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$15.05 $15.05

-6.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.51 $5.51

-58.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.55 $1.55

5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.00 $4.00

19.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.39 $4.39

-62.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.40 $2.40

60.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.91 $2.91

28.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.92 $1.92

-43.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.50 $2.50

3.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$9.87 $9.87

-48.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$14.73 $14.73

35.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.25 $2.25

24.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.08 $3.08

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.24 $2.24

-45.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.73 $2.73

-20.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.95 $1.95

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$30.81 $30.81

-71.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.17 $1.17

32.48%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.2K $26.2K

31.84%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$24.8K $24.8K

56.35%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$228 $228

-58.35%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$59.0 $59.0

-38.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$70.5 $70.5

-24.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$40.87 $40.87

80.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$13.88 $13.88

-43.01%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,609 $1,609

-69.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$20.5K $20.5K

-42.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$51.3 $51.3

6.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$40.55 $40.55

37.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$88.7 $88.7

-9.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$125 $125

-37.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,627 $1,627

-50.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,313 $1,313

-39.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,522 $2,522

58.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,178 $2,178

-35.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,389 $2,389

195.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,365 $2,365

-47.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$4,785 $4,785

-81.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.57

31.20%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Shelby Township, MI: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Shelby Township, MI

$1.3K 50.3% 66.3% $523

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Shelby Township, MI

$395 15.1% 12.9% $45

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Shelby Township, MI

$317 12.2% 49% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Shelby Township, MI

$357 13.7% 94% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Shelby Township, MI

$138 5.3% 13.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Shelby Township, MI

$69 2.6% 23.4% $21

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Shelby Township, MI

$21 * 0.8% 75.9% $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 $1,627 in Shelby Township, 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 440% higher in Shelby Township, 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 $75.0 in Shelby Township, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $395 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Shelby Township, MI

🕒 Local time

18:20 6:20 PM

20:20 8:20 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,018

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Shelby Township, MI 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Shelby Township, 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 Shelby Township, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $2,609 in Shelby Township, MI – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,914 in Shelby Township, 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 $75.0 in Shelby Township, MI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Shelby Township, MI, 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 $1,835, than in Shelby Township, MI at $2,609. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shelby Township, 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 $2,609 in Shelby Township, 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, Shelby Township, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.