Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pembroke Pines, FL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,514 in Pembroke Pines, FL, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Pembroke Pines, FL
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Pembroke Pines, FL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Pembroke Pines, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,514

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,514 per month in Pembroke Pines, FL vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Pembroke Pines, FL $3,514
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $4,928 per month in Pembroke Pines, FL vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Pembroke Pines, FL $4,928
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $6,341 per month in Pembroke Pines, FL vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Pembroke Pines, FL $6,341
Nosara $3,814

Pembroke Pines, FL costs about 91% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Pembroke Pines, FL and Nosara sit above the global median – Pembroke Pines, FL by 159%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 $30.22

$12.34 ₡5,535

144.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 $94.6

$61.3 ₡27.5K

54.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.59 $14.59

$7.76 ₡3,481

88.02%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$4.44 ₡1,992

22.52%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$1.79 ₡803

36.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.29 ₡580

59.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.24 ₡1,451

86.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.43 ₡1,985

60.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.55 ₡696

-34.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.08 ₡1,380

2.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.53 ₡1,133

31.62%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$3.45 ₡1,546

31.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$7.32 ₡3,284

79.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.66 $12.66

$10.24 ₡4,594

23.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.90 $19.90

$14.10 ₡6,326

41.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.29 ₡1,027

112.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.64 ₡737

21.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$4.79 ₡2,149

-16.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$1.64 ₡735

239.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.85 ₡1,727

-24.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.75 ₡1,681

-10.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.09 ₡488

141.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.59 ₡1,160

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$5.12 ₡2,295

86.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.89 $12.89

$19.92 ₡8,931

-35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.80 ₡1,255

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.52 ₡1,580

-37.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.22 ₡549

141.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.95 $44.95

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-39.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.17 ₡973

79.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.56 ₡698

21.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.16 $24.16

$8.67 ₡3,886

178.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.55 ₡697

-32.90%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.41%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-30.53%

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

$220 $220

$94.8 ₡42.5K

131.74%

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

$64.4 $64.4

$36.15 ₡16.2K

78.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.6 $81.6

$53.1 ₡23.8K

53.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.41 $28.41

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-61.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 $13.51

$7.91 ₡3,548

70.80%

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

$1,034 $1,034

$490 ₡219.9K

110.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.5K $42.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

257.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.34 $47.34

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-13.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.60 $41.60

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-25.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$80.4 ₡36.0K

33.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$77.9 ₡34.9K

50.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,178 $2,178

$801 ₡359.1K

171.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 $2,059

$790 ₡354.1K

160.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,096 $3,096

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,070 $3,070

$1,409 ₡632.0K

117.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 $2,414

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-65.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,516 $3,516

$1,236 ₡554.3K

184.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,458 $4,458

$887 ₡397.6K

402.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

8.62

-23.90%

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

Last update for Pembroke Pines, FL: 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

Pembroke Pines, FL

$2.1K 58.6%

Nosara

$790 43% 61.7% $1.3K

Eating Out

Pembroke Pines, FL

$413 11.8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 48.5% $201

Groceries & Markets

Pembroke Pines, FL

$409 11.7%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 14.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pembroke Pines, FL

$366 10.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 49.7% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Pembroke Pines, FL

$141 4%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 14.1% $20

Getting Around

Pembroke Pines, FL

$70 2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 26.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Pembroke Pines, FL

$55 1.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 61.6% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,178 in Pembroke Pines, FL 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 403% higher in Pembroke Pines, FL, 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 $95.0 in Pembroke Pines, FL versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pembroke Pines, FL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

16:12 4:12 PM

2 h behind Pembroke Pines, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,064

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pembroke Pines, FL Nosara 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pembroke Pines, FL
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

Pembroke Pines, FL vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,514 in Pembroke Pines, FL, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 91% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,271 per month in Pembroke Pines, FL 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 64% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,034 per month in Pembroke Pines, FL 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 Pembroke Pines, FL at $3,514. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pembroke Pines, FL 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 $3,514 in Pembroke Pines, FL. 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, Pembroke Pines, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.