Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Passaic, NJ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,737 in Passaic, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Passaic, NJ
Learn more

Passaic, NJ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Passaic, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,737

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,737 per month in Passaic, NJ vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Passaic, NJ $2,737
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $4,186 per month in Passaic, NJ vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Passaic, NJ $4,186
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,634 per month in Passaic, NJ vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Passaic, NJ $5,634
Nosara $3,814

Passaic, NJ costs about 49% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Passaic, NJ and Nosara sit above the global median – Passaic, NJ by 102%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.76 $18.76

$12.34 ₡5,535

52.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$61.3 ₡27.5K

28.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$7.76 ₡3,481

69.85%

Cappuccino

$6.27 $6.27

$4.44 ₡1,992

41.22%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$1.79 ₡803

41.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.29 ₡580

17.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.24 ₡1,451

142.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$4.43 ₡1,985

61.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.55 ₡696

-14.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.08 ₡1,380

41.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$2.53 ₡1,133

145.85%

Eggs

$6.20 $6.20

$3.45 ₡1,546

79.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.19 $19.19

$7.32 ₡3,284

162.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 $10.40

$10.24 ₡4,594

1.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$14.10 ₡6,326

33.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$2.29 ₡1,027

166.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.64 ₡737

30.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$4.79 ₡2,149

-8.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$1.64 ₡735

226.83%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.85 ₡1,727

5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.75 ₡1,681

15.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.09 ₡488

180.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.59 ₡1,160

13.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.77 $14.77

$5.12 ₡2,295

188.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$19.92 ₡8,931

-23.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.80 ₡1,255

-36.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.52 ₡1,580

3.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.22 ₡549

59.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 $120

$73.9 ₡33.1K

63.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.17 ₡973

36.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.56 ₡698

42.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.30 $41.30

$8.67 ₡3,886

376.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.55 ₡697

-26.45%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.17%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.78%

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

$174 $174

$94.8 ₡42.5K

83.32%

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

$50.6 $50.6

$36.15 ₡16.2K

40.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 $50.8

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-4.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.15 $41.15

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-44.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$20.62 $20.62

$7.91 ₡3,548

160.68%

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

$1,988 $1,988

$490 ₡219.9K

305.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

35.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-8.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 $51.7

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-7.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$80.4 ₡36.0K

9.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$77.9 ₡34.9K

32.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 $1,816

$801 ₡359.1K

126.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 $1,295

$790 ₡354.1K

64.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-36.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,403 $2,403

$1,409 ₡632.0K

70.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,576 $2,576

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-63.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,362 $2,362

$1,236 ₡554.3K

91.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,739 $3,739

$887 ₡397.6K

321.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

8.62

-21.11%

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

Last update for Passaic, NJ: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Passaic, NJ

$1.3K 47.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 39% $506

Groceries & Markets

Passaic, NJ

$475 17.4%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 26.4% $126

Eating Out

Passaic, NJ

$335 12.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 36.5% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Passaic, NJ

$275 10.1%

Nosara

$184 10% 33.1% $91

Getting Around

Passaic, NJ

$142 5.2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 37.7% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Passaic, NJ

$132 4.8%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 8.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Passaic, NJ

$82 3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 8.8% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,816 in Passaic, NJ versus $801 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 322% higher in Passaic, NJ, 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 $79.0 in Passaic, NJ versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $475 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Passaic, NJ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:57 1:57 AM

23:57 11:57 PM

2 h behind Passaic, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,974

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Passaic, NJ Nosara 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Passaic, NJ
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

Passaic, NJ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,737 in Passaic, NJ, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 49% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,105 per month in Passaic, NJ and $2,753 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.

Public transport costs about 63% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,988 per month in Passaic, NJ and $490 in Nosara. 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 Passaic, NJ at $2,737. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Passaic, NJ 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 $2,737 in Passaic, NJ. 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, Passaic, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.