Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rutland, VT and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,287 in Rutland, VT, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rutland, VT
🇺🇸 United States
$2,287
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,287 per month in Rutland, VT vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Rutland, VT $2,287
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,007 per month in Rutland, VT vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Rutland, VT $4,007
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,726 per month in Rutland, VT vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Rutland, VT $5,726
  • Nosara $3,712

Rutland, VT costs about 24% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rutland, VT and Nosara sit above the global median – Rutland, VT by 71%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rutland, VT
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.62 $19.62
$12.22 ₡5,509
60.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.6 $98.6
$60.2 ₡27.1K
63.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.87 $14.87
$7.54 ₡3,399
97.21%
Cappuccino
$3.93 $3.93
$4.31 ₡1,941
-8.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.72 ₡773
52.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.35 ₡608
-26.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.88 $5.88
$3.24 ₡1,459
81.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.66 $10.66
$4.48 ₡2,018
137.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rutland, VT
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.80 $0.80
$1.57 ₡707
-49.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.17 $2.17
$3.17 ₡1,429
-31.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.56 $6.56
$2.42 ₡1,091
171.07%
Eggs
$3.97 $3.97
$3.57 ₡1,609
11.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.57 $6.57
$7.43 ₡3,349
-11.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.27 $13.27
$10.42 ₡4,697
27.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.60 $18.60
$13.66 ₡6,156
36.16%
Apples (1kg)
$4.78 $4.78
$2.32 ₡1,044
106.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 $1.38
$1.61 ₡728
-14.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.40 $4.40
$4.74 ₡2,138
-7.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$1.66 ₡747
163.86%
Potato (1kg)
$3.20 $3.20
$3.72 ₡1,679
-13.98%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 $2.22
$3.57 ₡1,611
-37.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.10 ₡497
108.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$2.55 ₡1,149
-21.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.81 $8.81
$4.95 ₡2,232
77.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.23 $9.23
$20.01 ₡9,020
-53.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 $2.09
$2.79 ₡1,256
-25.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.99 $3.99
$3.53 ₡1,589
13.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Rutland, VT
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.19 ₡537
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.80 $4.80
$2.24 ₡1,011
114.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 $1.36
$1.55 ₡701
-12.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.29 $15.29
$8.86 ₡3,993
72.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 $1.06
$1.57 ₡708
-32.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.0K $37.0K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
69.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.6K $21.6K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-37.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rutland, VT
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$215 $215
$93.5 ₡42.1K
129.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$71.3 $71.3
$35.11 ₡15.8K
103.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$88.9 $88.9
$51.5 ₡23.2K
72.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rutland, VT
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.07 $15.07
$7.84 ₡3,535
92.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rutland, VT
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,505 $1,505
$490 ₡220.7K
207.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.0K $17.0K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
43.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rutland, VT
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.4 $54.4
$53.5 ₡24.1K
1.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.60 $39.60
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-28.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 $111
$79.3 ₡35.7K
39.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 $107
$78.9 ₡35.6K
35.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rutland, VT
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,289 $1,289
$786 ₡354.3K
64.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,004 $1,004
$780 ₡351.6K
28.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,628 $2,628
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-31.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,011 $3,011
$1,407 ₡634.4K
113.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,201 ₡541.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rutland, VT
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,032 $4,032
$876 ₡395.0K
360.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.66
8.62
-22.74%

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

Last update for Rutland, VT: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rutland, VT
$1K
Nosara
$780 22.3% $224
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rutland, VT
$375
Nosara
$180 52% $195
Groceries & Markets
Rutland, VT
$369
Nosara
$350 5.4% $20
Eating Out
Rutland, VT
$314
Nosara
$209 33.3% $104
Clothing & Footwear
Rutland, VT
$140
Nosara
$120 14.1% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Rutland, VT
$30 *
Nosara
$87 189% $57
Getting Around
Rutland, VT
$12 *
Nosara
$87 647% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,289 in Rutland, VT versus $786 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 360% higher in Rutland, VT, 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 $99.0 in Rutland, VT versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $369 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Rutland, VT
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
23:43 11:43 PM
21:43 9:43 PM
2 h behind Rutland, VT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,074
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rutland, VT Nosara 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rutland, VT
  • 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
Rutland, VT vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Rutland, VT and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,287 in Rutland, VT, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Rutland, VT compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,431 per month in Rutland, VT and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Rutland, VT 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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Rutland, VT and $60.0 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?
Groceries cost about 6% more in Rutland, VT, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
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 $1,837, than in Rutland, VT at $2,287. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rutland, VT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Rutland, VT and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $2,287 in Rutland, VT. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Rutland, VT 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 Rutland, VT and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rutland, VT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Rutland, VT vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?