Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Union City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Union City, TN: $1,653 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Union City, TN
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Union City, TN Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Union City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Union City, TN

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 Union City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,653 in Union City, TN, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Union City, TN $1,653

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,486 in Union City, TN, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Union City, TN $2,486

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,318 in Union City, TN, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Union City, TN $3,318

Nosara costs about 11% more than Union City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Union City, TN sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Union City, TN by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$9.87 $9.87

25.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$50.3 $50.3

21.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$6.95 $6.95

11.65%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.11 $3.11

42.77%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.20 $2.20

-18.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.56 $1.56

-17.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.90 $3.90

-16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.89 $3.89

13.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.92 $0.92

68.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.38 $2.38

29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.07 $2.07

22.22%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.69 $2.69

28.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$7.88 $7.88

-7.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$8.85 $8.85

15.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$18.69 $18.69

-24.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.44 $4.44

-48.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.26 $1.26

30.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.70 $2.70

77.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.43 $4.43

-62.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.19 $2.19

75.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.83 $1.83

104.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.77 $1.77

-38.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.38 $1.38

87.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$6.83 $6.83

-25.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$13.97 $13.97

42.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.05 $2.05

36.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.84 $1.84

91.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.85 $1.85

-34.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$4.85 $4.85

-55.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.52 $1.52

2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$21.16 $21.16

-59.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.83 $0.83

86.75%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$37.1K $37.1K

-6.81%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$27.3K $27.3K

42.06%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$228 $228

-58.44%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$33.13 $33.13

9.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$75.2 $75.2

-29.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$41.53 $41.53

77.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$7.06 $7.06

404.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$14.82 $14.82

-46.63%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,465 $1,465

-66.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$30.8K $30.8K

-61.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$55.4 $55.4

-1.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$43.06 $43.06

29.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$90.9 $90.9

-11.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$136 $136

-42.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$724 $724

10.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$585 $585

35.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,155 $1,155

246.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,099 $1,099

28.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,327 $2,327

203.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,591 $2,591

-52.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$2,019 $2,019

-56.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.55

31.60%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Union City, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Union City, TN

$585 35.4% 25.9% $205

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Union City, TN

$315 19% 10% $35

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Union City, TN

$179 10.9% 15.6% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Union City, TN

$336 20.4% 82.8% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Union City, TN

$147 8.9% 21.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Union City, TN

$71 4.3% 20.6% $18

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Union City, TN

$20 * 1.2% 77.6% $69

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 $724 in Union City, TN. 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 128% higher in Union City, TN, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $50.0 in Union City, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $315 – making Union City, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Union City, TN

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

63,930

💱 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 Union City, TN 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Union City, TN

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 Union City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,653 in Union City, TN – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,479 in Union City, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Union City, TN, 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 $50.0 in Union City, TN. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Nosara, 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 Union City, TN, where all-in costs run around $1,653, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Union City, TN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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 $1,653 in Union City, TN to $1,835 in Nosara. 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 Union City, TN. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.