Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Parma, OH and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,206 in Parma, OH, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Parma, OH
🇺🇸 United States
$2,206
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Parma, OH 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 Parma, OH and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,206 per month in Parma, OH vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Parma, OH $2,206
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,315 per month in Parma, OH vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Parma, OH $3,315
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,425 per month in Parma, OH vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Parma, OH $4,425
  • Nosara $3,818

Parma, OH costs about 20% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Parma, OH and Nosara sit above the global median – Parma, OH by 63%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Parma, OH
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.30 $18.30
$12.35 ₡5,539
48.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.6 $62.6
$61.2 ₡27.4K
2.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.58 $11.58
$7.52 ₡3,373
53.99%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$4.41 ₡1,978
26.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$1.74 ₡780
44.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.31 ₡587
48.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.95 $5.95
$3.28 ₡1,471
81.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.19 $8.19
$4.47 ₡2,004
83.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Parma, OH
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.88 $0.88
$1.56 ₡701
-43.59%
White Bread (500g)
$3.26 $3.26
$3.02 ₡1,355
7.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.28 $4.28
$2.51 ₡1,125
70.52%
Eggs
$3.95 $3.95
$3.57 ₡1,603
10.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.55 $13.55
$7.43 ₡3,333
82.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.48 $12.48
$10.52 ₡4,717
18.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.83 $17.83
$13.97 ₡6,265
27.63%
Apples (1kg)
$4.87 $4.87
$2.35 ₡1,052
107.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.61 ₡720
-4.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.06 $4.06
$4.80 ₡2,152
-15.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.82 $4.82
$1.61 ₡724
199.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.49 $2.49
$3.80 ₡1,703
-34.47%
Onion (1kg)
$3.06 $3.06
$3.69 ₡1,657
-17.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.13 ₡507
100.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 $2.17
$2.66 ₡1,191
-18.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.02 $10.02
$5.18 ₡2,321
93.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.75 $14.75
$19.88 ₡8,916
-25.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.51 $2.51
$2.90 ₡1,300
-13.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 $3.38
$3.63 ₡1,626
-6.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Parma, OH
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 $2.53
$1.12 ₡504
125.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.79 $2.79
$2.14 ₡958
30.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.57 ₡703
0.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.29 $24.29
$8.52 ₡3,823
185.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.52 ₡682
-31.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.1K $36.1K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
67.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-24.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Parma, OH
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$211 $211
$96.3 ₡43.2K
119.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.0 $59.0
$35.89 ₡16.1K
64.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.6 $68.6
$53.6 ₡24.0K
27.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Parma, OH
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$10.17 $10.17
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-85.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.03 $12.03
$7.89 ₡3,539
52.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Parma, OH
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,095 $1,095
$494 ₡221.6K
121.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K $18.7K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
57.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Parma, OH
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5 $59.5
$53.9 ₡24.2K
10.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.55 $39.55
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-28.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 $101
$77.9 ₡34.9K
29.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 $116
$79.6 ₡35.7K
46.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Parma, OH
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$964 $964
$788 ₡353.4K
22.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$955 $955
$794 ₡356.2K
20.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,525 $1,525
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-61.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,734 $1,734
$1,419 ₡636.5K
22.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Parma, OH
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,595 $3,595
$864 ₡387.3K
316.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.49
8.62
-24.71%

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

Last update for Parma, OH: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Parma, OH
$955
Nosara
$794 16.8% $161
Groceries & Markets
Parma, OH
$402
Nosara
$352 12.4% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Parma, OH
$339
Nosara
$186 45.2% $153
Eating Out
Parma, OH
$312
Nosara
$212 32.1% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Parma, OH
$142
Nosara
$120 15.6% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Parma, OH
$34
Nosara
$87 155% $53
Getting Around
Parma, OH
$21 *
Nosara
$87 318% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $964 in Parma, OH versus $788 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 316% higher in Parma, OH, 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 $63.0 in Parma, OH versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Parma, OH
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
16:22 4:22 PM
14:22 2:22 PM
2 h behind Parma, OH
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,982
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Parma, OH Nosara 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Parma, OH
  • 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
Parma, OH vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Parma, OH and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,206 in Parma, OH, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Parma, OH compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,309 per month in Parma, OH and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Parma, OH and Nosara?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Parma, OH and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 14% more in Parma, OH, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Parma, OH at $2,206. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Parma, OH it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Parma, OH and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,206 in Parma, OH. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Parma, OH or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Parma, OH and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Parma, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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