Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quincy, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $4,192 in Quincy, MA, rent and utilities included – about $28,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Quincy, MA
🇺🇸 United States
$4,192
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,192 per month in Quincy, MA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Quincy, MA $4,192
  • Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $5,805 per month in Quincy, MA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Quincy, MA $5,805
  • Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $7,419 per month in Quincy, MA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Quincy, MA $7,419
  • Nosara $3,814

Quincy, MA costs about 128% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Quincy, MA and Nosara sit above the global median – Quincy, MA by 209%, Nosara by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quincy, MA
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$30.05 $30.05
$12.34 ₡5,535
143.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$121 $121
$61.3 ₡27.5K
96.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.14 $12.14
$7.76 ₡3,481
56.44%
Cappuccino
$5.14 $5.14
$4.44 ₡1,992
15.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 $2.83
$1.79 ₡803
58.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$1.29 ₡580
89.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.14 $7.14
$3.24 ₡1,451
120.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.16 $8.16
$4.43 ₡1,985
84.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quincy, MA
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.23 $1.23
$1.55 ₡696
-20.65%
White Bread (500g)
$4.12 $4.12
$3.08 ₡1,380
33.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.25 $5.25
$2.53 ₡1,133
107.51%
Eggs
$4.85 $4.85
$3.45 ₡1,546
40.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.40 $11.40
$7.32 ₡3,284
55.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.95 $14.95
$10.24 ₡4,594
46.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.74 $17.74
$14.10 ₡6,326
25.82%
Apples (1kg)
$6.56 $6.56
$2.29 ₡1,027
186.46%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.64 ₡737
25.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.83 $6.83
$4.79 ₡2,149
42.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.73 $6.73
$1.64 ₡735
310.37%
Potato (1kg)
$3.52 $3.52
$3.85 ₡1,727
-8.57%
Onion (1kg)
$4.10 $4.10
$3.75 ₡1,681
9.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.93 $2.93
$1.09 ₡488
168.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 $1.55
$2.59 ₡1,160
-40.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.37 $13.37
$5.12 ₡2,295
161.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.20 $14.20
$19.92 ₡8,931
-28.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 $2.06
$2.80 ₡1,255
-26.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.13 $4.13
$3.52 ₡1,580
17.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Quincy, MA
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.40 $2.40
$1.22 ₡549
96.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$110 $110
$73.9 ₡33.1K
48.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.66 $2.66
$2.17 ₡973
22.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.56 ₡698
9.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.31 $25.31
$8.67 ₡3,886
191.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.55 ₡697
-26.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K $27.4K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-20.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-30.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quincy, MA
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$241 $241
$94.8 ₡42.5K
154.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$56.1 $56.1
$36.15 ₡16.2K
55.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$83.4 $83.4
$53.1 ₡23.8K
57.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quincy, MA
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.3 $80.3
$73.8 ₡33.1K
8.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.8 $50.8
$35.63 ₡16.0K
42.63%
Cinema Ticket
$14.94 $14.94
$7.91 ₡3,548
88.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quincy, MA
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,811 $1,811
$490 ₡219.9K
269.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,875 $9,875
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-16.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quincy, MA
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.0 $65.0
$54.8 ₡24.6K
18.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.30 $39.30
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-29.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.4 $99.4
$80.4 ₡36.0K
23.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 $98.8
$77.9 ₡34.9K
26.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quincy, MA
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,060 $3,060
$801 ₡359.1K
282.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,565 $2,565
$790 ₡354.1K
224.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,612 $4,612
$4,005 ₡1.8M
15.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,629 $3,629
$1,409 ₡632.0K
157.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,197 $3,197
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-54.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,263 $1,263
$1,236 ₡554.3K
2.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quincy, MA
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,070 $6,070
$887 ₡397.6K
584.62%
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 Quincy, MA: 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
Quincy, MA
$2.6K
Nosara
$790 69.2% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Quincy, MA
$458
Nosara
$350 23.7% $109
Eating Out
Quincy, MA
$412
Nosara
$213 48.3% $199
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quincy, MA
$380
Nosara
$184 51.6% $196
Clothing & Footwear
Quincy, MA
$136
Nosara
$121 11.1% $15
Getting Around
Quincy, MA
$130
Nosara
$89 32% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Quincy, MA
$110
Nosara
$90 18.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,060 in Quincy, MA 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 585% higher in Quincy, MA, 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 $121 in Quincy, MA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Quincy, MA
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
18:40 6:40 PM
16:40 4:40 PM
2 h behind Quincy, MA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
92,271
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
  • Quincy, MA Nosara 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Quincy, MA
  • 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
Quincy, MA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Quincy, MA and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,192 in Quincy, MA, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 128% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Quincy, MA compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,287 per month in Quincy, MA 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 Quincy, MA and Nosara?
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.
How do commuting costs compare in Quincy, MA and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 48% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Quincy, MA and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $1,811 per month in Quincy, MA and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Quincy, MA at $4,192. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quincy, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Quincy, MA and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,835 in Nosara to $4,192 in Quincy, MA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Quincy, MA 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 Quincy, MA and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Quincy, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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