Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pierre, SD and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,433 in Pierre, SD, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Pierre, SD
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Pierre, SD Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Pierre, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,433

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,433 per month in Pierre, SD vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Pierre, SD $2,433
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,803 per month in Pierre, SD vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Pierre, SD $3,803
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,172 per month in Pierre, SD vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Pierre, SD $5,172
Nosara $3,814

Pierre, SD costs about 33% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Pierre, SD and Nosara sit above the global median – Pierre, SD by 80%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.68 $19.68

$12.34 ₡5,535

59.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.8 $83.8

$61.3 ₡27.5K

36.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 $11.77

$7.76 ₡3,481

51.68%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$4.44 ₡1,992

17.12%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$1.79 ₡803

46.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.29 ₡580

52.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.24 ₡1,451

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.66 $7.66

$4.43 ₡1,985

72.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.55 ₡696

-36.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.08 ₡1,380

-1.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.53 ₡1,133

86.17%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$3.45 ₡1,546

34.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 $13.51

$7.32 ₡3,284

84.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.71 $12.71

$10.24 ₡4,594

24.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.62 $15.62

$14.10 ₡6,326

10.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.29 ₡1,027

131.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.64 ₡737

-7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$4.79 ₡2,149

-20.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.64 ₡735

175.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.85 ₡1,727

-30.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.75 ₡1,681

-27.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.09 ₡488

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.59 ₡1,160

-16.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.28 $10.28

$5.12 ₡2,295

100.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.39 $13.39

$19.92 ₡8,931

-32.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.80 ₡1,255

-22.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.52 ₡1,580

3.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.22 ₡549

70.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.17 ₡973

32.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.56 ₡698

6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.06 $32.06

$8.67 ₡3,886

269.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.55 ₡697

-31.61%

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

$31.6K $31.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-8.48%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-37.00%

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

$189 $189

$94.8 ₡42.5K

99.66%

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

$60.4 $60.4

$36.15 ₡16.2K

67.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 $62.4

$53.1 ₡23.8K

17.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.51 $38.51

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-47.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 $14.84

$7.91 ₡3,548

87.61%

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

$1,203 $1,203

$490 ₡219.9K

145.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

95.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-3.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.99 $39.99

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-28.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 $96.7

$80.4 ₡36.0K

20.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$77.9 ₡34.9K

43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 $1,478

$801 ₡359.1K

84.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 $1,182

$790 ₡354.1K

49.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,348 $2,348

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-41.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 $2,347

$1,409 ₡632.0K

66.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,923 $2,923

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-58.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,582 $2,582

$1,236 ₡554.3K

108.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Pierre, SD: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pierre, SD

$1.2K 48.6%

Nosara

$790 43% 33.2% $392

Groceries & Markets

Pierre, SD

$395 16.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 11.4% $45

Eating Out

Pierre, SD

$321 13.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 33.8% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pierre, SD

$312 12.8%

Nosara

$184 10% 41% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Pierre, SD

$136 5.6%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 10.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Pierre, SD

$68 2.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 31.4% $21

Getting Around

Pierre, SD

$20 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 355% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,478 in Pierre, SD 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Pierre, SD versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $395 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pierre, SD

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

12:26 12:26 PM

1 h behind Pierre, SD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,095

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pierre, SD Nosara 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Pierre, SD
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

Pierre, SD vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,433 in Pierre, SD, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,650 per month in Pierre, SD 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Pierre, SD and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Pierre, SD, 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 $1,835, than in Pierre, SD at $2,433. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pierre, SD 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 $2,433 in Pierre, SD. 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, Pierre, SD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.