Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Rancho, NM and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,621 in Rio Rancho, NM, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Rio Rancho, NM
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Rio Rancho, NM Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Rio Rancho, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,621

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,621 per month in Rio Rancho, NM vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

Rio Rancho, NM $2,621
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $3,842 per month in Rio Rancho, NM vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

Rio Rancho, NM $3,842
Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $5,062 per month in Rio Rancho, NM vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

Rio Rancho, NM $5,062
Nosara $3,790

Rio Rancho, NM costs about 42% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio Rancho, NM and Nosara sit above the global median – Rio Rancho, NM by 94%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 $17.44

$12.38 ₡5,568

40.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 $78.4

$60.6 ₡27.2K

29.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$7.81 ₡3,513

51.34%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$4.37 ₡1,966

24.94%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$1.78 ₡800

60.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.35 ₡605

74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.39 ₡1,526

79.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 $7.08

$4.31 ₡1,939

64.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.55 ₡699

-31.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.17 ₡1,425

-0.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.51 ₡1,130

84.46%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$3.53 ₡1,585

18.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 $11.58

$7.37 ₡3,313

57.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.64 $19.64

$10.46 ₡4,703

87.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.46 $18.46

$13.91 ₡6,255

32.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$2.26 ₡1,018

139.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.56 ₡701

4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$4.70 ₡2,113

-17.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$1.62 ₡729

153.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$3.88 ₡1,746

-70.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.79 ₡1,704

-11.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.07 ₡481

88.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.61 ₡1,174

-2.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 $10.93

$5.16 ₡2,319

111.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.90 $15.90

$20.33 ₡9,143

-21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.91 ₡1,310

-27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.67 ₡1,651

-2.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.31 ₡588

46.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

$73.2 ₡32.9K

-17.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.19 ₡984

57.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.84 ₡829

14.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.16 $35.16

$7.81 ₡3,513

350.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.56 ₡702

-33.33%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$33.4K ₡15.0M

-11.16%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$38.1K ₡17.1M

-32.99%

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

$170 $170

$95.9 ₡43.1K

77.57%

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

$44.41 $44.41

$35.37 ₡15.9K

25.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$53.7 ₡24.1K

28.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.50 $40.50

$67.5 ₡30.3K

-39.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$18.05 $18.05

$7.72 ₡3,473

133.81%

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

$1,345 $1,345

$496 ₡222.8K

171.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K $22.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

90.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 $55.2

$54.6 ₡24.6K

1.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 $58.1

$55.0 ₡24.7K

5.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 $80.3

$79.8 ₡35.9K

0.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$77.9 ₡35.0K

54.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 $1,594

$817 ₡367.5K

95.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 $1,294

$800 ₡359.7K

61.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 $2,520

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-35.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 $2,090

$1,396 ₡627.6K

49.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,005 $3,005

$6,977 ₡3.1M

-56.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,328 $2,328

$1,222 ₡549.6K

90.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,911 $5,911

$879 ₡395.3K

572.31%

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 Rio Rancho, NM: November 2, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio Rancho, NM

$1.3K 49.4%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 38.2% $494

Groceries & Markets

Rio Rancho, NM

$437 16.7%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 19.3% $84

Eating Out

Rio Rancho, NM

$306 11.7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 30.3% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio Rancho, NM

$284 10.8%

Nosara

$185 10% 34.8% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Rio Rancho, NM

$141 5.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 14.9% $21

Getting Around

Rio Rancho, NM

$82 3.1%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 9.1% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Rio Rancho, NM

$77 2.9%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 8.2% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,594 in Rio Rancho, NM 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.

Salaries in Rio Rancho, NM are about 6.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Rio Rancho, NM versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $437 vs $353 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rio Rancho, NM

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

1 h ahead of Rio Rancho, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,660

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio Rancho, NM Nosara 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio Rancho, NM
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

Rio Rancho, NM vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,621 in Rio Rancho, NM, $1,844 in Nosara – Nosara comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,932 per month in Rio Rancho, NM and $2,765 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,594 in Rio Rancho, NM.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Rio Rancho, NM. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,345 per month in Rio Rancho, NM and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,621 in Rio Rancho, NM and $1,844 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rio Rancho, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.