Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oyster Bay, NY and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,712 in Oyster Bay, NY, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Oyster Bay, NY
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Oyster Bay, NY Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Oyster Bay, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,712

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oyster Bay, NY and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oyster Bay, NY and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,712 per month in Oyster Bay, NY vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Oyster Bay, NY $2,712
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,049 per month in Oyster Bay, NY vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Oyster Bay, NY $4,049
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,386 per month in Oyster Bay, NY vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Oyster Bay, NY $5,386
Nosara $3,712

Oyster Bay, NY costs about 48% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Oyster Bay, NY and Nosara sit above the global median – Oyster Bay, NY by 102%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.15 $25.15

$12.22 ₡5,509

105.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.2 ₡27.1K

67.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 $13.14

$7.54 ₡3,399

74.27%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$4.31 ₡1,941

25.99%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$1.72 ₡773

29.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.35 ₡608

17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.80 $8.80

$3.24 ₡1,459

171.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$4.48 ₡2,018

82.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.57 ₡707

-19.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.17 ₡1,429

35.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.42 ₡1,091

150.83%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$3.57 ₡1,609

65.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 $13.91

$7.43 ₡3,349

87.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.21 $10.21

$10.42 ₡4,697

-2.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 $19.48

$13.66 ₡6,156

42.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.32 ₡1,044

129.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.61 ₡728

6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.74 ₡2,138

-8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$1.66 ₡747

216.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.72 ₡1,679

-15.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.57 ₡1,611

-6.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.10 ₡497

154.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.55 ₡1,149

15.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.18 $11.18

$4.95 ₡2,232

125.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$20.01 ₡9,020

-26.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.79 ₡1,256

-36.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.53 ₡1,589

4.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.19 ₡537

54.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.24 ₡1,011

33.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.55 ₡701

30.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.68 $23.68

$8.86 ₡3,993

167.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.57 ₡708

-29.30%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

60.56%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-25.84%

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

$213 $213

$93.5 ₡42.1K

128.41%

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

$75.5 $75.5

$35.11 ₡15.8K

115.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.5 $65.5

$51.5 ₡23.2K

27.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 $42.21

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-40.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 $14.84

$7.84 ₡3,535

89.29%

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

$2,027 $2,027

$490 ₡220.7K

314.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

36.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.70 $49.70

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-7.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$55.8 ₡25.1K

3.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 $87.8

$79.3 ₡35.7K

10.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$78.9 ₡35.6K

92.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 $1,622

$786 ₡354.3K

106.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 $1,277

$780 ₡351.6K

63.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,458 $2,458

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-36.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 $2,187

$1,407 ₡634.4K

55.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 $2,410

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-65.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,501 $2,501

$1,201 ₡541.3K

108.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,046 $7,046

$876 ₡395.0K

704.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.62

-21.69%

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

Last update for Oyster Bay, NY: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oyster Bay, NY

$1.3K 47.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 39% $498

Groceries & Markets

Oyster Bay, NY

$443 16.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 21.2% $94

Eating Out

Oyster Bay, NY

$381 14.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 45.1% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oyster Bay, NY

$354 13.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 49.2% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Oyster Bay, NY

$156 5.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 22.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Oyster Bay, NY

$72 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 21.1% $15

Getting Around

Oyster Bay, NY

$21 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 324% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,622 in Oyster Bay, NY versus $786 in Nosara. 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 704% higher in Oyster Bay, NY, 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 $101 in Oyster Bay, NY versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $443 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oyster Bay, NY

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:09 7:09 PM

17:09 5:09 PM

2 h behind Oyster Bay, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

301,332

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Oyster Bay, NY Nosara 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Oyster Bay, NY
Nosara

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

Oyster Bay, NY vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,712 in Oyster Bay, NY, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 48% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,068 per month in Oyster Bay, NY and $2,756 in Nosara. 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 $101 in Oyster Bay, NY and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Oyster Bay, NY, 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 $1,837, than in Oyster Bay, NY at $2,712. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oyster Bay, NY 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $2,712 in Oyster Bay, NY. 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, Oyster Bay, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.