Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saratoga Springs, NY and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,870 in Saratoga Springs, NY, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Saratoga Springs, NY
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Saratoga Springs, NY Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Saratoga Springs, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,870

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,870 per month in Saratoga Springs, NY vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Saratoga Springs, NY $2,870
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,028 per month in Saratoga Springs, NY vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Saratoga Springs, NY $4,028
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,185 per month in Saratoga Springs, NY vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Saratoga Springs, NY $5,185
Nosara $3,712

Saratoga Springs, NY costs about 56% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saratoga Springs, NY and Nosara sit above the global median – Saratoga Springs, NY by 114%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.82 $17.82

$12.22 ₡5,509

45.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 $77.8

$60.2 ₡27.1K

29.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 $8.23

$7.54 ₡3,399

9.15%

Cappuccino

$5.33 $5.33

$4.31 ₡1,941

23.67%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$1.72 ₡773

54.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.35 ₡608

42.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 $6.68

$3.24 ₡1,459

106.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$4.48 ₡2,018

64.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.57 ₡707

-43.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.17 ₡1,429

5.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.42 ₡1,091

85.95%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$3.57 ₡1,609

9.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 $10.86

$7.43 ₡3,349

46.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.76 $13.76

$10.42 ₡4,697

32.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 $18.00

$13.66 ₡6,156

31.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$2.32 ₡1,044

179.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.61 ₡728

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$4.74 ₡2,138

11.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.97 $6.97

$1.66 ₡747

319.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.72 ₡1,679

-19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.57 ₡1,611

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.10 ₡497

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.55 ₡1,149

7.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 $12.86

$4.95 ₡2,232

159.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$20.01 ₡9,020

-26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.79 ₡1,256

5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.53 ₡1,589

35.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.24 ₡1,011

70.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.55 ₡701

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.63 $29.63

$8.86 ₡3,993

234.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.57 ₡708

-38.85%

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

$33.9K $33.9K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

55.43%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-28.14%

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

$236 $236

$93.5 ₡42.1K

152.15%

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

$52.4 $52.4

$35.11 ₡15.8K

49.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 $58.4

$51.5 ₡23.2K

13.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.6 $59.6

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-16.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 $20.12

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-43.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$7.84 ₡3,535

90.69%

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

$1,387 $1,387

$490 ₡220.7K

183.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

49.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$53.5 ₡24.1K

0.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.61 $48.61

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-12.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$79.3 ₡35.7K

17.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$78.9 ₡35.6K

28.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 $2,517

$786 ₡354.3K

220.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 $1,543

$780 ₡351.6K

97.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,051 $3,051

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-20.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$1,407 ₡634.4K

54.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,942 $4,942

$876 ₡395.0K

463.98%

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 Saratoga Springs, NY: 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

Saratoga Springs, NY

$1.5K 53.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 49.5% $763

Groceries & Markets

Saratoga Springs, NY

$441 15.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 20.7% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saratoga Springs, NY

$346 12.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 48% $166

Eating Out

Saratoga Springs, NY

$298 10.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 29.6% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Saratoga Springs, NY

$134 4.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 10% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Saratoga Springs, NY

$89 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 2.6% $2.4

Getting Around

Saratoga Springs, NY

$15 * 0.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 492% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,517 in Saratoga Springs, NY 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 464% higher in Saratoga Springs, NY, 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 $78.0 in Saratoga Springs, NY versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $441 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saratoga Springs, NY

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:44 2:44 AM

00:44 12:44 AM

2 h behind Saratoga Springs, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,491

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 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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Between locations

Saratoga Springs, NY Nosara 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Saratoga Springs, NY
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

Saratoga Springs, NY vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,870 in Saratoga Springs, NY, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 56% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,306 per month in Saratoga Springs, NY and $2,756 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 $78.0 in Saratoga Springs, NY and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Saratoga Springs, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Saratoga Springs, NY at $2,870. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saratoga Springs, NY 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $2,870 in Saratoga Springs, NY. 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, Saratoga Springs, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.