Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Jefferson Station, NY and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,846 a month against $2,833 in Port Jefferson Station, NY, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Port Jefferson Station, NY, United States
Nosara, Costa Rica
Port Jefferson Station, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$2,833
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Jefferson Station, NY 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 Port Jefferson Station, NY and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,833 per month in Port Jefferson Station, NY vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Port Jefferson Station, NY $2,833
  • Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $4,012 per month in Port Jefferson Station, NY vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Port Jefferson Station, NY $4,012
  • Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $5,192 per month in Port Jefferson Station, NY vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Port Jefferson Station, NY $5,192
  • Nosara $3,820

Port Jefferson Station, NY costs about 53% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Port Jefferson Station, NY and Nosara sit above the global median – Port Jefferson Station, NY by 108%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Port Jefferson Station, NY
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.68 $24.68
$12.36 ₡5,575
99.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$97.9 $97.9
$60.8 ₡27.4K
61.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.06 $8.06
$7.88 ₡3,557
2.28%
Cappuccino
$4.93 $4.93
$4.40 ₡1,986
12.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$1.72 ₡776
27.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 $1.60
$1.34 ₡603
19.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.07 $8.07
$3.34 ₡1,505
141.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.85 $7.85
$4.54 ₡2,048
72.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Port Jefferson Station, NY
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 $1.32
$1.64 ₡739
-19.51%
White Bread (500g)
$4.36 $4.36
$3.16 ₡1,426
37.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.51 $7.51
$2.39 ₡1,080
214.23%
Eggs
$5.90 $5.90
$3.47 ₡1,564
70.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.54 $12.54
$7.13 ₡3,217
75.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.94 $11.94
$10.32 ₡4,655
15.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.04 $17.04
$13.97 ₡6,302
21.98%
Apples (1kg)
$5.27 $5.27
$2.29 ₡1,031
130.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.72 $1.72
$1.62 ₡731
6.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.25 $6.25
$4.81 ₡2,169
29.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.07 $6.07
$1.68 ₡758
261.31%
Potato (1kg)
$5.48 $5.48
$3.91 ₡1,765
40.15%
Onion (1kg)
$3.82 $3.82
$3.63 ₡1,640
5.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.78 $2.78
$1.13 ₡509
146.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.80 $2.80
$2.63 ₡1,188
6.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.50 $11.50
$5.02 ₡2,267
129.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$24.78 $24.78
$19.71 ₡8,893
25.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 $1.75
$2.91 ₡1,314
-39.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.27 $5.27
$3.54 ₡1,597
48.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Port Jefferson Station, NY
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.21 ₡545
70.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.7 $64.7
$73.8 ₡33.3K
-12.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.93 $2.93
$2.15 ₡969
36.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.63 ₡738
23.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.14 $24.14
$8.77 ₡3,958
175.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.55 ₡700
-30.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K $28.0K
$33.9K ₡15.3M
-17.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$38.5K ₡17.4M
-31.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Jefferson Station, NY
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 $196
$95.2 ₡43.0K
105.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$73.7 $73.7
$36.29 ₡16.4K
102.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.8 $64.8
$52.0 ₡23.5K
24.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Port Jefferson Station, NY
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.56 $40.56
$67.6 ₡30.5K
-39.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.55 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.58 $14.58
$7.54 ₡3,404
93.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Port Jefferson Station, NY
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,443 $2,443
$496 ₡224.0K
392.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.6K $23.6K
$11.8K ₡5.3M
100.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Port Jefferson Station, NY
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.74 $40.74
$55.1 ₡24.9K
-26.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.0 $57.0
$56.1 ₡25.3K
1.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.1 $75.1
$77.8 ₡35.1K
-3.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$156 $156
$79.1 ₡35.7K
97.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Port Jefferson Station, NY
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,558 $1,558
$817 ₡368.9K
90.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,354 $1,354
$806 ₡363.6K
68.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,460 $2,460
$3,988 ₡1.8M
-38.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,825 $1,825
$1,429 ₡644.9K
27.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,681 $2,681
$7,068 ₡3.2M
-62.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,265 $2,265
$1,197 ₡540.1K
89.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Port Jefferson Station, NY
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$888 ₡400.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
8.62
-21.69%

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

Last update for Port Jefferson Station, NY: October 27, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Port Jefferson Station, NY
$1.4K
Nosara
$806 40.5% $548
Groceries & Markets
Port Jefferson Station, NY
$489
Nosara
$351 28.1% $137
Eating Out
Port Jefferson Station, NY
$352
Nosara
$213 39.4% $139
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Jefferson Station, NY
$334
Nosara
$184 45.1% $151
Clothing & Footwear
Port Jefferson Station, NY
$148
Nosara
$121 18.5% $27
Getting Around
Port Jefferson Station, NY
$86
Nosara
$89 3.4% $3
Sport & Entertainment
Port Jefferson Station, NY
$70
Nosara
$83 18.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,558 in Port Jefferson Station, NY versus $817 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 $98 in Port Jefferson Station, NY versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $489 vs $351 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Port Jefferson Station, NY
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
14:03 2:03 PM
12:03 12:03 PM
2 h behind Port Jefferson Station, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,000
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Port Jefferson Station, NY Nosara 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Port Jefferson Station, NY
  • 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
Port Jefferson Station, NY vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Port Jefferson Station, NY and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,833 in Port Jefferson Station, NY, $1,846 in Nosara – roughly 53% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Port Jefferson Station, NY compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,249 per month in Port Jefferson Station, NY and $2,769 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Port Jefferson Station, NY and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,558 in Port Jefferson Station, NY.
How do commuting costs compare in Port Jefferson Station, NY and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 12% less in Port Jefferson Station, NY. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Port Jefferson Station, NY and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $2,443 per month in Port Jefferson Station, NY and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Where should families live: Port Jefferson Station, NY or Nosara?
Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Port Jefferson Station, NY 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.

Port Jefferson Station, NY vs other spots: cost of living compared

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