Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Joseph, MI and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Saint Joseph, MI and in Nosara: $1,867 and $1,835 a month, rent and utilities included.

90

Cost of Living Index in Saint Joseph, MI
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Saint Joseph, MI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Saint Joseph, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,867

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,867 per month in Saint Joseph, MI vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint Joseph, MI $1,867
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,986 per month in Saint Joseph, MI vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint Joseph, MI $2,986
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,106 per month in Saint Joseph, MI vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint Joseph, MI $4,106
Nosara $3,814

Saint Joseph, MI costs about 2% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Saint Joseph, MI and Nosara sit above the global median – Saint Joseph, MI by 38%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.79 $13.79

$12.34 ₡5,535

11.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$61.3 ₡27.5K

20.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 $8.97

$7.76 ₡3,481

15.59%

Cappuccino

$3.93 $3.93

$4.44 ₡1,992

-11.49%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$1.79 ₡803

62.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.29 ₡580

56.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.24 ₡1,451

26.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 $5.01

$4.43 ₡1,985

13.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.55 ₡696

-50.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.08 ₡1,380

-10.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.53 ₡1,133

12.65%

Eggs

$3.57 $3.57

$3.45 ₡1,546

3.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 $7.78

$7.32 ₡3,284

6.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$10.24 ₡4,594

5.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.30 $8.30

$14.10 ₡6,326

-41.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$2.29 ₡1,027

142.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.64 ₡737

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$4.79 ₡2,149

-25.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$1.64 ₡735

235.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.85 ₡1,727

-54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$3.75 ₡1,681

-13.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.09 ₡488

53.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.59 ₡1,160

-5.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.19 $12.19

$5.12 ₡2,295

138.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$19.92 ₡8,931

-59.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.80 ₡1,255

-36.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.52 ₡1,580

1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.22 ₡549

87.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.17 ₡973

54.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.56 ₡698

20.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.31 $34.31

$8.67 ₡3,886

295.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.55 ₡697

-44.52%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-29.77%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-33.99%

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

$176 $176

$94.8 ₡42.5K

86.03%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$36.15 ₡16.2K

45.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 $51.7

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-2.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.46 $42.46

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-42.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.51 $10.51

$7.91 ₡3,548

32.87%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$490 ₡219.9K

207.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

87.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.17 $40.17

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-26.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-9.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 $76.4

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-4.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 $75.9

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-2.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 $1,066

$801 ₡359.1K

33.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 $834

$790 ₡354.1K

5.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,878 $1,878

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-53.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,771 $1,771

$1,409 ₡632.0K

25.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,873 $2,873

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-59.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,287 $2,287

$1,236 ₡554.3K

85.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,921 $4,921

$887 ₡397.6K

455.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

8.62

-25.41%

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

Last update for Saint Joseph, MI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Joseph, MI

$834 44.7%

Nosara

$790 43% 5.3% $44

Groceries & Markets

Saint Joseph, MI

$323 17.3%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 8.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Joseph, MI

$281 15%

Nosara

$184 10% 34.4% $97

Eating Out

Saint Joseph, MI

$235 12.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 9.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Joseph, MI

$109 5.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 10.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Joseph, MI

$63 3.4%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 41.2% $26

Getting Around

Saint Joseph, MI

$22 * 1.2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 305% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,066 in Saint Joseph, MI 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 455% higher in Saint Joseph, MI, 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 $74.0 in Saint Joseph, MI versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $323 in Saint Joseph, MI vs $350 in Nosara – so Saint Joseph, MI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:44 4:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

2 h behind Saint Joseph, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,780

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint Joseph, MI Nosara 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Joseph, MI
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

Saint Joseph, MI vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,867 in Saint Joseph, MI, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,800 per month in Saint Joseph, MI and $2,753 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Saint Joseph, MI and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Saint Joseph, MI – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Saint Joseph, MI at $1,867. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Joseph, MI 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 $1,835 in Nosara to $1,867 in Saint Joseph, MI. 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, Saint Joseph, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.