Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Providence, RI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,387 in Providence, RI, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Providence, RI
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Providence, RI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Providence, RI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,387

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,387 per month in Providence, RI vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Providence, RI $3,387
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Providence, RI vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Providence, RI $4,631
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,875 per month in Providence, RI vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Providence, RI $5,875
Nosara $3,818

Providence, RI costs about 84% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Providence, RI and Nosara sit above the global median – Providence, RI by 151%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.28 $18.28

$12.35 ₡5,539

48.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 $95.3

$61.2 ₡27.4K

55.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.70 $13.70

$7.52 ₡3,373

82.18%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$4.41 ₡1,978

24.49%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$1.74 ₡780

67.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.31 ₡587

54.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.28 ₡1,471

50.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$4.47 ₡2,004

82.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.56 ₡701

-32.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.02 ₡1,355

8.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.51 ₡1,125

109.56%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.57 ₡1,603

36.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$7.43 ₡3,333

49.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.18 $14.18

$10.52 ₡4,717

34.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.48 $17.48

$13.97 ₡6,265

25.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.35 ₡1,052

102.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.61 ₡720

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$4.80 ₡2,152

14.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$1.61 ₡724

198.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.80 ₡1,703

-14.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.69 ₡1,657

-0.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.13 ₡507

107.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.66 ₡1,191

-23.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.54 $13.54

$5.18 ₡2,321

161.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 $13.53

$19.88 ₡8,916

-31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.90 ₡1,300

-29.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.63 ₡1,626

18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.12 ₡504

83.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 $70.6

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-2.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.14 ₡958

136.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.57 ₡703

-10.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.46 $30.46

$8.52 ₡3,823

257.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.52 ₡682

-32.24%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

71.47%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-23.44%

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

$318 $318

$96.3 ₡43.2K

230.41%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$35.89 ₡16.1K

94.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.1 $84.1

$53.6 ₡24.0K

56.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 $55.1

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-23.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.2 $59.2

$34.91 ₡15.7K

69.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.68 $14.68

$7.89 ₡3,539

86.06%

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

$1,500 $1,500

$494 ₡221.6K

203.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K $16.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

40.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$53.9 ₡24.2K

0.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.42 $38.42

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-30.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 $80.2

$77.9 ₡34.9K

2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 $99.2

$79.6 ₡35.7K

24.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 $2,379

$788 ₡353.4K

201.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 $1,888

$794 ₡356.2K

137.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,081 $3,081

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-21.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,582 $2,582

$1,419 ₡636.5K

81.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 $3,392

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-50.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,322 $3,322

$1,224 ₡549.0K

171.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,661 $3,661

$864 ₡387.3K

323.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Providence, RI: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Providence, RI

$1.9K 55.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 57.9% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Providence, RI

$472 13.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 60.6% $286

Groceries & Markets

Providence, RI

$415 12.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 15.2% $63

Eating Out

Providence, RI

$314 9.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 32.6% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Providence, RI

$122 3.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 1.9% $2.3

Getting Around

Providence, RI

$91 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 4.2% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Providence, RI

$84 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 3.5% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,379 in Providence, RI versus $788 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 324% higher in Providence, RI, 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 Providence, RI versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Providence, RI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:21 1:21 PM

11:21 11:21 AM

2 h behind Providence, RI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

179,472

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Providence, RI Nosara 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Providence, RI
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

Providence, RI vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,387 in Providence, RI, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 84% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,081 per month in Providence, RI and $2,758 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 3% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,500 per month in Providence, RI and $494 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 $1,839, than in Providence, RI at $3,387. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Providence, RI 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $3,387 in Providence, RI. 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, Providence, RI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.