Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roanoke, VA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,212 in Roanoke, VA, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Roanoke, VA
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Roanoke, VA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Roanoke, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,212

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,212 per month in Roanoke, VA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Roanoke, VA $2,212
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,269 per month in Roanoke, VA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Roanoke, VA $3,269
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,325 per month in Roanoke, VA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Roanoke, VA $4,325
Nosara $3,818

Roanoke, VA costs about 20% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Roanoke, VA and Nosara sit above the global median – Roanoke, VA by 64%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 $17.35

$12.35 ₡5,539

40.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 $55.3

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-9.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$7.52 ₡3,373

57.18%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$4.41 ₡1,978

22.68%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$1.74 ₡780

35.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.31 ₡587

81.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.28 ₡1,471

38.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$4.47 ₡2,004

61.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.56 ₡701

-43.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.02 ₡1,355

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.51 ₡1,125

72.51%

Eggs

$3.36 $3.36

$3.57 ₡1,603

-5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 $14.26

$7.43 ₡3,333

91.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$10.52 ₡4,717

-1.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 $16.97

$13.97 ₡6,265

21.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.35 ₡1,052

127.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.61 ₡720

-27.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.80 ₡2,152

-22.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.61 ₡724

185.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.80 ₡1,703

-40.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.69 ₡1,657

-13.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.13 ₡507

92.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.66 ₡1,191

-22.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.21 $9.21

$5.18 ₡2,321

77.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$19.88 ₡8,916

-38.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.63 ₡1,626

-59.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.12 ₡504

59.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 $114

$72.6 ₡32.6K

56.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 $0.60

$1.57 ₡703

-61.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.52 ₡682

-38.82%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

70.41%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.66%

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

$123 $123

$96.3 ₡43.2K

28.09%

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

$55.0 $55.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

53.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$53.6 ₡24.0K

20.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 $37.84

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-47.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.91 $22.91

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-34.37%

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 $12.93

$7.89 ₡3,539

63.88%

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

$572 $572

$494 ₡221.6K

15.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.07 $45.07

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-16.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.44 $34.44

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-37.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 $90.3

$77.9 ₡34.9K

15.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$79.6 ₡35.7K

68.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 $1,178

$788 ₡353.4K

49.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 $982

$794 ₡356.2K

23.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-55.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$1,419 ₡636.5K

12.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,999 $1,999

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-71.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,224 ₡549.0K

60.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,312 $3,312

$864 ₡387.3K

283.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

8.62

-21.00%

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

Last update for Roanoke, VA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Roanoke, VA

$982 44.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 19.1% $187

Groceries & Markets

Roanoke, VA

$368 16.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 4.3% $16

Eating Out

Roanoke, VA

$295 13.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 28.3% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roanoke, VA

$243 11%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 23.5% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Roanoke, VA

$137 6.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 12.2% $17

Getting Around

Roanoke, VA

$124 * 5.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 29.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Roanoke, VA

$64 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 37.2% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,178 in Roanoke, VA 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 283% higher in Roanoke, VA, 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 $55.0 in Roanoke, VA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $368 in Roanoke, VA vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Roanoke, VA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

04:30 4:30 AM

2 h behind Roanoke, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,837

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Highest

Between locations

Roanoke, VA Nosara 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Roanoke, VA
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

Roanoke, VA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,212 in Roanoke, VA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,319 per month in Roanoke, VA 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 57% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $572 per month in Roanoke, VA 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 Roanoke, VA at $2,212. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Roanoke, VA 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 $2,212 in Roanoke, VA. 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, Roanoke, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.