Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth, OH and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Portsmouth, OH and in Nosara: $1,800 and $1,835 a month, rent and utilities included.

Portsmouth, OH
🇺🇸 United States
$1,800
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,800 per month in Portsmouth, OH vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Portsmouth, OH $1,800
  • Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,508 per month in Portsmouth, OH vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Portsmouth, OH $2,508
  • Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,216 per month in Portsmouth, OH vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Portsmouth, OH $3,216
  • Nosara $3,814

Portsmouth, OH is about 2% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Portsmouth, OH and Nosara sit above the global median – Portsmouth, OH by 33%, Nosara by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Portsmouth, OH
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.41 $14.41
$12.34 ₡5,535
16.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.96 $39.96
$61.3 ₡27.5K
-34.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.80 $7.80
$7.76 ₡3,481
0.52%
Cappuccino
$4.05 $4.05
$4.44 ₡1,992
-8.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$1.79 ₡803
17.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 $1.64
$1.29 ₡580
27.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.96 $9.96
$3.24 ₡1,451
207.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$11.96 $11.96
$4.43 ₡1,985
169.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Portsmouth, OH
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.78 $0.78
$1.55 ₡696
-49.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.78 $2.78
$3.08 ₡1,380
-9.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.83 $3.83
$2.53 ₡1,133
51.38%
Eggs
$2.28 $2.28
$3.45 ₡1,546
-33.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.78 $10.78
$7.32 ₡3,284
47.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$24.24 $24.24
$10.24 ₡4,594
136.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.41 $9.41
$14.10 ₡6,326
-33.26%
Apples (1kg)
$6.00 $6.00
$2.29 ₡1,027
162.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.64 ₡737
13.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.91 $6.91
$4.79 ₡2,149
44.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.46 $5.46
$1.64 ₡735
232.93%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$3.85 ₡1,727
-32.99%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 $1.77
$3.75 ₡1,681
-52.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.09 ₡488
40.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.74 $2.74
$2.59 ₡1,160
5.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.80 $9.80
$5.12 ₡2,295
91.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 $19.88
$19.92 ₡8,931
-0.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$2.80 ₡1,255
-36.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41 $3.41
$3.52 ₡1,580
-3.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Portsmouth, OH
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.81 $1.81
$1.22 ₡549
48.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 $3.23
$2.17 ₡973
48.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.00 $2.00
$1.56 ₡698
28.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.25 $27.25
$8.67 ₡3,886
214.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.72 $0.72
$1.55 ₡697
-53.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K $27.7K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-19.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-31.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portsmouth, OH
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$206 $206
$94.8 ₡42.5K
117.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$52.0 $52.0
$36.15 ₡16.2K
43.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.5 $57.5
$53.1 ₡23.8K
8.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Portsmouth, OH
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.82 $41.82
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-43.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.07 $14.07
$7.91 ₡3,548
77.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Portsmouth, OH
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$537 $537
$490 ₡219.9K
9.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,374 $6,374
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-46.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Portsmouth, OH
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$29.83 $29.83
$54.8 ₡24.6K
-45.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.48 $25.48
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-54.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$56.3 $56.3
$80.4 ₡36.0K
-29.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 $123
$77.9 ₡34.9K
57.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Portsmouth, OH
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$587 $587
$801 ₡359.1K
-26.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$569 $569
$790 ₡354.1K
-27.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$746 $746
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-81.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$679 $679
$1,409 ₡632.0K
-51.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,603 $2,603
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-63.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,478 $2,478
$1,236 ₡554.3K
100.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Portsmouth, OH
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,585 $1,585
$887 ₡397.6K
78.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.74
8.62
-21.81%

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

Last update for Portsmouth, OH: 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
Portsmouth, OH
$569
Nosara
$790 38.7% $220
Groceries & Markets
Portsmouth, OH
$444
Nosara
$350 21.2% $94
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portsmouth, OH
$316
Nosara
$184 41.7% $132
Eating Out
Portsmouth, OH
$276
Nosara
$213 22.9% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Portsmouth, OH
$105
Nosara
$121 14.8% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Portsmouth, OH
$70
Nosara
$90 28.1% $20
Getting Around
Portsmouth, OH
$20 *
Nosara
$89 334% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $587 in Portsmouth, OH 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 79% higher in Portsmouth, OH, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Portsmouth, OH versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $444 in Portsmouth, OH vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Portsmouth, OH
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
11:04 11:04 AM
09:04 9:04 AM
2 h behind Portsmouth, OH
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
95,535
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Portsmouth, OH Nosara 3,210 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Portsmouth, OH
  • 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
Portsmouth, OH vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Portsmouth, OH and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,800 in Portsmouth, OH, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Portsmouth, OH compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,700 per month in Portsmouth, OH and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Portsmouth, OH and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Portsmouth, OH, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Portsmouth, OH and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 27% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Portsmouth, OH, where all-in costs run around $1,800, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Portsmouth, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Portsmouth, OH and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,800 in Portsmouth, OH to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Portsmouth, OH 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.
How do I decide between Portsmouth, OH and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Portsmouth, OH. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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