Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shelby Township, MI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,609 in Shelby Township, MI, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Shelby Township, MI
Learn more

Shelby Township, MI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Shelby Township, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,609 per month in Shelby Township, MI vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Shelby Township, MI $2,609
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,806 per month in Shelby Township, MI vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Shelby Township, MI $3,806
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,003 per month in Shelby Township, MI vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Shelby Township, MI $5,003
Nosara $3,814

Shelby Township, MI costs about 42% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shelby Township, MI and Nosara sit above the global median – Shelby Township, MI by 93%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.60 $19.60

$12.34 ₡5,535

58.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 $75.1

$61.3 ₡27.5K

22.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 $11.35

$7.76 ₡3,481

46.26%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$4.44 ₡1,992

21.85%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$1.79 ₡803

46.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.29 ₡580

50.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 $5.36

$3.24 ₡1,451

65.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$4.43 ₡1,985

81.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.55 ₡696

-27.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.08 ₡1,380

-1.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.53 ₡1,133

84.58%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$3.45 ₡1,546

35.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 $13.57

$7.32 ₡3,284

85.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 $11.48

$10.24 ₡4,594

12.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.10 ₡6,326

6.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.29 ₡1,027

140.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.64 ₡737

-5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.79 ₡2,149

-16.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.64 ₡735

167.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.85 ₡1,727

-37.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.75 ₡1,681

-22.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.09 ₡488

76.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.59 ₡1,160

-3.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.87 $9.87

$5.12 ₡2,295

92.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$19.92 ₡8,931

-26.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.80 ₡1,255

-19.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.52 ₡1,580

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.22 ₡549

83.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.17 ₡973

25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.56 ₡698

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.81 $30.81

$8.67 ₡3,886

255.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.55 ₡697

-24.52%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.15%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-36.04%

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

$228 $228

$94.8 ₡42.5K

140.11%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$36.15 ₡16.2K

63.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$53.1 ₡23.8K

32.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.87 $40.87

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-44.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.88 $13.88

$7.91 ₡3,548

75.47%

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

$1,609 $1,609

$490 ₡219.9K

228.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K $20.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

72.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-6.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 $40.55

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-27.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 $88.7

$80.4 ₡36.0K

10.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$77.9 ₡34.9K

60.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 $1,627

$801 ₡359.1K

103.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$790 ₡354.1K

66.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 $2,522

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-37.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,178 $2,178

$1,409 ₡632.0K

54.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,389 $2,389

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-66.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$1,236 ₡554.3K

91.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,785 $4,785

$887 ₡397.6K

439.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Shelby Township, MI: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shelby Township, MI

$1.3K 50.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 39.9% $523

Groceries & Markets

Shelby Township, MI

$395 15.1%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 11.4% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shelby Township, MI

$357 13.7%

Nosara

$184 10% 48.5% $173

Eating Out

Shelby Township, MI

$317 12.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 32.9% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Shelby Township, MI

$138 5.3%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 12% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Shelby Township, MI

$69 2.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 30.6% $21

Getting Around

Shelby Township, MI

$21 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 314% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,627 in Shelby Township, 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 440% higher in Shelby Township, 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 $75.0 in Shelby Township, MI versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $395 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Shelby Township, MI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:41 3:41 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

2 h behind Shelby Township, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,018

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shelby Township, MI Nosara 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Shelby Township, 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

Shelby Township, MI vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,609 in Shelby Township, MI, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,914 per month in Shelby Township, 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 $75.0 in Shelby Township, MI and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Shelby Township, MI, 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 $1,835, than in Shelby Township, MI at $2,609. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shelby Township, 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 $2,609 in Shelby Township, 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, Shelby Township, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.