Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phoenix, AZ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,970 in Phoenix, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Phoenix, AZ
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Phoenix, AZ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Phoenix, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,970

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,970 per month in Phoenix, AZ vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Phoenix, AZ $2,970
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,233 per month in Phoenix, AZ vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Phoenix, AZ $4,233
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,495 per month in Phoenix, AZ vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Phoenix, AZ $5,495
Nosara $3,712

Phoenix, AZ costs about 62% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Phoenix, AZ and Nosara sit above the global median – Phoenix, AZ by 122%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.10 $20.10

$12.22 ₡5,509

64.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.1 $84.1

$60.2 ₡27.1K

39.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.67 $14.67

$7.54 ₡3,399

94.56%

Cappuccino

$6.01 $6.01

$4.31 ₡1,941

39.44%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$1.72 ₡773

83.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.35 ₡608

75.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.24 ₡1,459

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$4.48 ₡2,018

83.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.57 ₡707

-45.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.17 ₡1,429

29.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.42 ₡1,091

164.46%

Eggs

$4.31 $4.31

$3.57 ₡1,609

20.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$7.43 ₡3,349

89.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.69 $13.69

$10.42 ₡4,697

31.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 $14.54

$13.66 ₡6,156

6.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.32 ₡1,044

134.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.61 ₡728

21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.74 ₡2,138

-12.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$1.66 ₡747

260.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.72 ₡1,679

-2.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.57 ₡1,611

-14.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.10 ₡497

109.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.55 ₡1,149

-0.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.64 $10.64

$4.95 ₡2,232

114.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.61 $14.61

$20.01 ₡9,020

-26.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.79 ₡1,256

-14.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.53 ₡1,589

-11.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.19 ₡537

63.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 $63.5

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-11.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.24 ₡1,011

21.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.55 ₡701

-9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.78 $35.78

$8.86 ₡3,993

303.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.57 ₡708

-24.20%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

68.13%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-24.29%

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

$233 $233

$93.5 ₡42.1K

149.36%

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

$78.9 $78.9

$35.11 ₡15.8K

124.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.4 $76.4

$51.5 ₡23.2K

48.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.0 $66.0

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-7.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.36 $19.36

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-45.37%

Cinema Ticket

$13.81 $13.81

$7.84 ₡3,535

76.15%

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

$1,830 $1,830

$490 ₡220.7K

273.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K $22.8K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

91.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 $62.9

$53.5 ₡24.1K

17.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 $43.12

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-22.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$79.3 ₡35.7K

38.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$78.9 ₡35.6K

70.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 $1,785

$786 ₡354.3K

127.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 $1,421

$780 ₡351.6K

82.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,257 $3,257

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-15.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 $2,126

$1,407 ₡634.4K

51.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,706 $4,706

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-32.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,074 $3,074

$1,201 ₡541.3K

156.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,189 $4,189

$876 ₡395.0K

378.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

8.62

-23.09%

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

Last update for Phoenix, AZ: 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

Phoenix, AZ

$1.4K 48.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 45.1% $641

Groceries & Markets

Phoenix, AZ

$436 14.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 19.9% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phoenix, AZ

$388 13.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 53.6% $208

Eating Out

Phoenix, AZ

$346 11.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 39.5% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Phoenix, AZ

$158 5.4%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 23.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Phoenix, AZ

$94 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 6.9% $6.5

Getting Around

Phoenix, AZ

$81 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 7.2% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,785 in Phoenix, AZ 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 378% higher in Phoenix, AZ, 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 $84.0 in Phoenix, AZ versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $436 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Phoenix, AZ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

19:54 7:54 PM

1 h ahead of Phoenix, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,608,139

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phoenix, AZ Nosara 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Phoenix, AZ
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

Phoenix, AZ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,970 in Phoenix, AZ, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 62% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,456 per month in Phoenix, AZ 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.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,830 per month in Phoenix, AZ 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 $1,837, than in Phoenix, AZ at $2,970. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phoenix, AZ 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 $2,970 in Phoenix, AZ. 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, Phoenix, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.