Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salisbury, MD and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,285 in Salisbury, MD, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Salisbury, MD
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Salisbury, MD Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Salisbury, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,285

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,285 per month in Salisbury, MD vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Salisbury, MD $2,285
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,723 per month in Salisbury, MD vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Salisbury, MD $3,723
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,161 per month in Salisbury, MD vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Salisbury, MD $5,161
Nosara $3,814

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

Both Salisbury, MD and Nosara sit above the global median – Salisbury, MD by 69%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 $22.36

$12.34 ₡5,535

81.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.0 $96.0

$61.3 ₡27.5K

56.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 $11.69

$7.76 ₡3,481

50.64%

Cappuccino

$4.03 $4.03

$4.44 ₡1,992

-9.23%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$1.79 ₡803

63.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.29 ₡580

51.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 $6.66

$3.24 ₡1,451

105.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.74 $8.74

$4.43 ₡1,985

97.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.55 ₡696

-45.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.08 ₡1,380

-23.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.53 ₡1,133

51.38%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$3.45 ₡1,546

35.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 $13.31

$7.32 ₡3,284

81.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.65 $15.65

$10.24 ₡4,594

52.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 $13.83

$14.10 ₡6,326

-1.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.29 ₡1,027

115.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.64 ₡737

-17.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$4.79 ₡2,149

-58.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.64 ₡735

95.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.85 ₡1,727

-42.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.75 ₡1,681

-29.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.09 ₡488

65.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.59 ₡1,160

-18.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 $8.10

$5.12 ₡2,295

58.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 $12.10

$19.92 ₡8,931

-39.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.80 ₡1,255

-49.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.52 ₡1,580

-58.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.22 ₡549

59.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.31 $49.31

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-33.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.17 ₡973

123.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.56 ₡698

17.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 $30.59

$8.67 ₡3,886

252.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.55 ₡697

-40.65%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-29.94%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.56%

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

$146 $146

$94.8 ₡42.5K

53.91%

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

$39.54 $39.54

$36.15 ₡16.2K

9.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.92 $24.92

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-53.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 $62.2

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-15.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.16 $22.16

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-37.81%

Cinema Ticket

$16.86 $16.86

$7.91 ₡3,548

113.15%

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

$1,486 $1,486

$490 ₡219.9K

203.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-14.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 $88.6

$54.8 ₡24.6K

61.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 $56.6

$55.9 ₡25.1K

1.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 $141

$80.4 ₡36.0K

75.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

$77.9 ₡34.9K

93.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 $1,209

$801 ₡359.1K

51.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 $1,016

$790 ₡354.1K

28.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,453 $2,453

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-38.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,122 $2,122

$1,409 ₡632.0K

50.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,211 $2,211

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-68.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,242 $2,242

$1,236 ₡554.3K

81.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,419 $3,419

$887 ₡397.6K

285.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.99

8.62

-18.91%

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

Last update for Salisbury, MD: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salisbury, MD

$1K 44.5%

Nosara

$790 43% 22.3% $227

Groceries & Markets

Salisbury, MD

$361 15.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 3.2% $12

Eating Out

Salisbury, MD

$333 14.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 36.1% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salisbury, MD

$210 9.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 12.5% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Salisbury, MD

$197 8.6%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 38.5% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Salisbury, MD

$96 4.2%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 6.6% $6.3

Getting Around

Salisbury, MD

$71 3.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 24.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,209 in Salisbury, MD 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 286% higher in Salisbury, MD, 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 $96.0 in Salisbury, MD versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salisbury, MD

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

15:08 3:08 PM

2 h behind Salisbury, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,480

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 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Salisbury, MD Nosara 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Salisbury, MD
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

Salisbury, MD vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,285 in Salisbury, MD, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,427 per month in Salisbury, MD 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.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,486 per month in Salisbury, MD and $490 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 $1,835, than in Salisbury, MD at $2,285. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salisbury, MD 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 $2,285 in Salisbury, MD. 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, Salisbury, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.