Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and The Dalles, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,611 in The Dalles, OR, 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
123

Cost of Living Index in The Dalles, OR
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The Dalles, OR Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

The Dalles, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in The Dalles, OR

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 The Dalles, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,611 in The Dalles, OR, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
The Dalles, OR $2,611

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,793 in The Dalles, OR, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
The Dalles, OR $3,793

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,974 in The Dalles, OR, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
The Dalles, OR $4,974

Nosara is about 30% cheaper than The Dalles, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and The Dalles, OR sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, The Dalles, OR by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$20.07 $20.07

-38.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$96.8 $96.8

-36.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.96 $11.96

-35.12%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.60 $4.60

-3.48%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.44 $2.44

-26.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.11 $2.11

-38.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.04 $5.04

-35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$6.90 $6.90

-35.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.03 $1.03

50.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.26 $3.26

-5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.11 $4.11

-38.44%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.95 $2.95

16.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$14.43 $14.43

-49.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$13.55 $13.55

-24.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$10.94 $10.94

28.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.80 $4.80

-52.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.73 $1.73

-5.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$3.93 $3.93

21.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.00 $4.00

-59.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.99 $2.99

28.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.27 $3.27

14.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.86 $1.86

-41.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.05 $2.05

26.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$11.25 $11.25

-54.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$15.22 $15.22

30.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.63 $1.63

71.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.92 $2.92

20.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.94 $1.94

-37.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$44.93 $44.93

64.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.48 $3.48

-37.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$2.20 $2.20

-29.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$49.48 $49.48

-82.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.30 $1.30

19.23%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.7K $25.7K

34.51%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$24.7K $24.7K

56.56%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$188 $188

-49.50%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$59.8 $59.8

-39.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$68.7 $68.7

-22.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$41.77 $41.77

76.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$11.83 $11.83

-33.14%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$987 $987

-50.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$16.3K $16.3K

-26.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$40.22 $40.22

36.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$34.38 $34.38

62.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$60.1 $60.1

33.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$81.5 $81.5

-4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,612 $1,612

-50.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,379 $1,379

-42.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,526 $2,526

58.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,143 $2,143

-34.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$3,021 $3,021

133.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,708 $2,708

-54.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$3,789 $3,789

-76.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.59

30.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for The Dalles, OR: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

The Dalles, OR

$1.4K 52.8% 74.6% $589

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

The Dalles, OR

$377 14.5% 7.9% $28

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

The Dalles, OR

$309 11.8% 45.2% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

The Dalles, OR

$316 12.1% 71.9% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

The Dalles, OR

$97 3.7% 19.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

The Dalles, OR

$65 2.5% 27% $24

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

The Dalles, OR

$67 2.6% 24.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,612 in The Dalles, OR. 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 327% higher in The Dalles, OR, 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 $97.0 in The Dalles, OR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $377 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 The Dalles, OR

🕒 Local time

14:01 2:01 PM

13:01 1:01 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

13,783

💱 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 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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara The Dalles, OR 5,200 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
The Dalles, OR

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 The Dalles, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $2,611 in The Dalles, OR – 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 $3,917 in The Dalles, OR. 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 64% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $987 in The Dalles, OR. 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 $1,835, than in The Dalles, OR at $2,611. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in The Dalles, OR 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 $2,611 in The Dalles, OR. 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, The Dalles, OR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.