Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Urbandale, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,310 in Urbandale, IA, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Urbandale, IA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Urbandale, IA
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Urbandale, IA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Urbandale, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Urbandale, IA

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 Urbandale, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,310 in Urbandale, IA, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Urbandale, IA $2,310

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,374 in Urbandale, IA, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Urbandale, IA $3,374

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,437 in Urbandale, IA, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Urbandale, IA $4,437

Nosara is about 21% cheaper than Urbandale, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Nosara and Urbandale, IA sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Urbandale, IA by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$14.86 $14.86

-16.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$50.9 $50.9

20.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$9.96 $9.96

-22.09%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.97 $4.97

-10.66%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.21 $1.21

47.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.99 $0.99

30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.15 $5.15

-37.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$7.58 $7.58

-41.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.01 $1.01

53.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.25 $3.25

-5.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$3.84 $3.84

-34.11%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.05 $2.05

68.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$14.07 $14.07

-47.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$9.88 $9.88

3.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$13.88 $13.88

1.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.21 $3.21

-28.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.61 $1.61

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$3.47 $3.47

38.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$3.29 $3.29

-50.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.09 $3.09

24.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$3.37 $3.37

11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.14 $2.14

-49.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.10 $2.10

23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$8.16 $8.16

-37.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$12.04 $12.04

65.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.82 $1.82

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.87 $1.87

88.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.05 $2.05

-40.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$66.0 $66.0

11.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.46 $2.46

-11.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.20 $1.20

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$60.2 $60.2

-85.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.98 $0.98

58.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$34.6K $34.6K

-0.03%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$25.6K $25.6K

51.24%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$140 $140

-32.11%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$14.79 $14.79

144.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$25.01 $25.01

112.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$35.57 $35.57

107.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$20.34 $20.34

75.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$14.81 $14.81

-46.59%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,164 $1,164

-57.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$20.7K $20.7K

-42.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$61.3 $61.3

-10.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$21.96 $21.96

154.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$45.54 $45.54

76.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$75.1 $75.1

3.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$933 $933

-14.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,290 $1,290

-38.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,237 $1,237

223.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,164 $2,164

-34.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,777 $2,777

154.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,710 $2,710

-54.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$3,637 $3,637

-75.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.56

31.40%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Urbandale, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Urbandale, IA

$1.3K 55.9% 63.4% $501

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Urbandale, IA

$342 14.8% 2.1% $7.5

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Urbandale, IA

$258 11.2% 21.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Urbandale, IA

$179 7.8% 2.5% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Urbandale, IA

$92 4% 24.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Urbandale, IA

$65 2.8% 27.2% $24

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Urbandale, IA

$83 3.6% 6.8% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $933 in Urbandale, IA. 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 310% higher in Urbandale, IA, 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 $51.0 in Urbandale, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $342 – making Urbandale, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Urbandale, IA

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

17:57 5:57 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

45,580

💱 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 Urbandale, IA 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Urbandale, IA

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 Urbandale, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $2,310 in Urbandale, IA – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,465 in Urbandale, IA. 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 12% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $1,164 in Urbandale, IA. 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 Urbandale, IA at $2,310. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Urbandale, IA 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 $2,310 in Urbandale, IA. 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, Urbandale, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.