Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Tempe, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,880 in Tempe, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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
140

Cost of Living Index in Tempe, AZ
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Tempe, AZ Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Tempe, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Tempe, AZ

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 Tempe, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,880 in Tempe, AZ, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Tempe, AZ $2,880

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,836 in Tempe, AZ, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Tempe, AZ $3,836

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,792 in Tempe, AZ, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Tempe, AZ $4,792

Nosara is about 36% cheaper than Tempe, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Tempe, AZ sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Tempe, AZ by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$19.77 $19.77

-37.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$81.6 $81.6

-25.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$13.17 $13.17

-42.90%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.25 $5.25

-16.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.10 $3.10

-43.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.44 $2.44

-46.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$6.01 $6.01

-45.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.17 $7.17

-37.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.97 $0.97

60.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$4.20 $4.20

-28.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$6.19 $6.19

-59.45%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.68 $4.68

-23.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.65 $13.65

-45.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$13.44 $13.44

-21.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$17.38 $17.38

-19.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.35 $5.35

-56.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.97 $1.97

-18.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.12 $4.12

16.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.96 $4.96

-67.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.53 $2.53

50.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.99 $2.99

23.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.22 $2.22

-49.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.27 $2.27

17.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.89 $10.89

-52.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.65 $13.65

45.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.41 $2.41

20.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.15 $3.15

15.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.94 $1.94

-42.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$64.4 $64.4

12.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.83 $2.83

-24.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.37 $1.37

14.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$35.42 $35.42

-75.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.17 $1.17

29.91%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.7K $36.7K

-41.18%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.8K $25.8K

33.94%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$240 $240

-59.94%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$61.4 $61.4

-41.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$78.0 $78.0

-31.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$30.16 $30.16

137.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$15.16 $15.16

130.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.80 $13.80

-42.83%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,107 $1,107

-55.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$15.4K $15.4K

-22.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$62.6 $62.6

-13.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$44.61 $44.61

24.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$98.4 $98.4

-20.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$113 $113

-29.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,894 $1,894

-58.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,460 $1,460

-45.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,543 $2,543

54.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,683 $1,683

-15.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,960 $3,960

-78.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.5

32.62%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tempe, AZ: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Tempe, AZ

$1.5K 50.7% 83.8% $666

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Tempe, AZ

$431 15% 22.2% $78

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Tempe, AZ

$327 11.4% 54.4% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Tempe, AZ

$380 13.2% 104% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Tempe, AZ

$143 5% 19.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Tempe, AZ

$58 2% 33.9% $30

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Tempe, AZ

$82 2.8% 6.1% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,894 in Tempe, AZ. 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 359% higher in Tempe, AZ, 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 $82.0 in Tempe, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $431 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Tempe, AZ

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

12:59 12:59 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

161,719

💱 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 = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Tempe, AZ 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Tempe, AZ

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 Tempe, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,880 in Tempe, AZ – roughly 57% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $4,320 in Tempe, AZ. 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.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $1,107 in Tempe, AZ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Tempe, AZ at $2,880. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tempe, AZ 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $2,880 in Tempe, AZ. 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, Tempe, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.