Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scottsdale, AZ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,911 in Scottsdale, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Scottsdale, AZ
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Scottsdale, AZ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Scottsdale, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,911

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,911 per month in Scottsdale, AZ vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Scottsdale, AZ $2,911
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,339 per month in Scottsdale, AZ vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Scottsdale, AZ $4,339
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,767 per month in Scottsdale, AZ vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Scottsdale, AZ $5,767
Nosara $3,818

Scottsdale, AZ costs about 58% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Scottsdale, AZ and Nosara sit above the global median – Scottsdale, AZ by 116%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.63 $19.63

$12.35 ₡5,539

58.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 $85.9

$61.2 ₡27.4K

40.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 $12.83

$7.52 ₡3,373

70.61%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$4.41 ₡1,978

20.63%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.74 ₡780

68.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.31 ₡587

81.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.28 ₡1,471

85.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$4.47 ₡2,004

76.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.56 ₡701

-35.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.02 ₡1,355

34.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.51 ₡1,125

98.01%

Eggs

$4.49 $4.49

$3.57 ₡1,603

25.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$7.43 ₡3,333

84.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.21 $11.21

$10.52 ₡4,717

6.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.13 $17.13

$13.97 ₡6,265

22.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.35 ₡1,052

86.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.61 ₡720

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$4.80 ₡2,152

-21.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.61 ₡724

158.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$3.80 ₡1,703

-25.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.69 ₡1,657

-23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.13 ₡507

87.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.66 ₡1,191

-1.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 $10.65

$5.18 ₡2,321

105.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 $13.49

$19.88 ₡8,916

-32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.90 ₡1,300

-14.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.63 ₡1,626

-8.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.12 ₡504

101.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.51 $42.51

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-41.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.14 ₡958

29.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.57 ₡703

-14.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.81 $35.81

$8.52 ₡3,823

320.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.52 ₡682

-21.71%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

69.60%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.41%

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

$200 $200

$96.3 ₡43.2K

108.01%

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

$63.7 $63.7

$35.89 ₡16.1K

77.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$53.6 ₡24.0K

40.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.23 $34.23

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-52.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 $10.04

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-71.24%

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 $13.71

$7.89 ₡3,539

73.76%

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

$1,238 $1,238

$494 ₡221.6K

150.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K $20.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

70.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 $54.9

$53.9 ₡24.2K

1.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.13 $43.13

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-22.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 $99.2

$77.9 ₡34.9K

27.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$79.6 ₡35.7K

67.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,387 $2,387

$788 ₡353.4K

202.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 $1,567

$794 ₡356.2K

97.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,230 $3,230

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-18.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,760 $2,760

$1,419 ₡636.5K

94.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,759 $3,759

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-45.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,224 ₡549.0K

287.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,671 $5,671

$864 ₡387.3K

556.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

8.62

-23.20%

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

Last update for Scottsdale, AZ: 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

Scottsdale, AZ

$1.6K 53.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 49.3% $773

Groceries & Markets

Scottsdale, AZ

$406 14%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 13.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scottsdale, AZ

$339 11.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 45.2% $153

Eating Out

Scottsdale, AZ

$327 11.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 35.2% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Scottsdale, AZ

$149 5.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 19.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Scottsdale, AZ

$62 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 41.7% $26

Getting Around

Scottsdale, AZ

$61 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 42.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,387 in Scottsdale, AZ 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 557% higher in Scottsdale, AZ, 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 $86.0 in Scottsdale, AZ versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Scottsdale, AZ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:29 11:29 AM

12:29 12:29 PM

1 h ahead of Scottsdale, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,361

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Scottsdale, AZ Nosara 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Scottsdale, AZ
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

Scottsdale, AZ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,911 in Scottsdale, AZ, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 58% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,366 per month in Scottsdale, AZ 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 71% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,238 per month in Scottsdale, AZ 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 Scottsdale, AZ at $2,911. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Scottsdale, AZ 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 $2,911 in Scottsdale, AZ. 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, Scottsdale, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.