Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sioux Falls, SD and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,154 in Sioux Falls, SD, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Sioux Falls, SD
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Sioux Falls, SD Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sioux Falls, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,154

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,154 per month in Sioux Falls, SD vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Sioux Falls, SD $2,154
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,162 per month in Sioux Falls, SD vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Sioux Falls, SD $3,162
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,170 per month in Sioux Falls, SD vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Sioux Falls, SD $4,170
Nosara $3,712

Sioux Falls, SD costs about 17% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sioux Falls, SD and Nosara sit above the global median – Sioux Falls, SD by 61%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.80 $11.80

$12.22 ₡5,509

-3.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$60.2 ₡27.1K

25.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 $10.02

$7.54 ₡3,399

32.89%

Cappuccino

$4.29 $4.29

$4.31 ₡1,941

-0.46%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$1.72 ₡773

54.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.35 ₡608

40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.24 ₡1,459

24.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 $6.62

$4.48 ₡2,018

47.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.57 ₡707

-47.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.17 ₡1,429

-10.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.42 ₡1,091

101.65%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$3.57 ₡1,609

0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$7.43 ₡3,349

67.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$10.42 ₡4,697

-6.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 $15.60

$13.66 ₡6,156

14.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.32 ₡1,044

97.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.61 ₡728

-1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.74 ₡2,138

-26.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.66 ₡747

116.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.72 ₡1,679

-43.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.57 ₡1,611

-7.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.10 ₡497

87.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.55 ₡1,149

-32.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 $9.48

$4.95 ₡2,232

91.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 $11.10

$20.01 ₡9,020

-44.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.79 ₡1,256

-23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.53 ₡1,589

-24.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.19 ₡537

23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.15 $30.15

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-58.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.24 ₡1,011

71.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.55 ₡701

9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.86 ₡3,993

298.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.57 ₡708

-36.31%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

62.89%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-27.55%

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

$245 $245

$93.5 ₡42.1K

162.59%

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

$45.55 $45.55

$35.11 ₡15.8K

29.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 $56.3

$51.5 ₡23.2K

9.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.12 $44.12

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-38.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.82 $34.82

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-1.75%

Cinema Ticket

$12.32 $12.32

$7.84 ₡3,535

57.14%

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

$1,006 $1,006

$490 ₡220.7K

105.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,684 $7,684

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-35.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.26 $33.26

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-37.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.10 $30.10

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-46.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$79.3 ₡35.7K

48.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$78.9 ₡35.6K

70.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 $1,355

$786 ₡354.3K

72.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 $934

$780 ₡351.6K

19.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 $2,070

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-46.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 $1,514

$1,407 ₡634.4K

7.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,504 $2,504

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-64.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,191 $2,191

$1,201 ₡541.3K

82.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,346 $4,346

$876 ₡395.0K

395.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

8.62

-20.30%

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

Last update for Sioux Falls, SD: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sioux Falls, SD

$934 44.1%

Nosara

$780 43% 16.5% $154

Groceries & Markets

Sioux Falls, SD

$347 16.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 0.6% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sioux Falls, SD

$347 16.4%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 48.1% $167

Eating Out

Sioux Falls, SD

$228 10.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Sioux Falls, SD

$142 6.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 15.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Sioux Falls, SD

$69 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 26.6% $18

Getting Around

Sioux Falls, SD

$48 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 79.6% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,355 in Sioux Falls, SD 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 396% higher in Sioux Falls, SD, 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 Sioux Falls, SD versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $347 in Sioux Falls, SD vs $350 in Nosara – so Sioux Falls, SD wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sioux Falls, SD

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

20:26 8:26 PM

1 h behind Sioux Falls, SD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

192,517

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sioux Falls, SD Nosara 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Sioux Falls, SD
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

Sioux Falls, SD vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,154 in Sioux Falls, SD, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,231 per month in Sioux Falls, SD 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.

Public transport costs about 139% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,006 per month in Sioux Falls, SD 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 $1,837, than in Sioux Falls, SD at $2,154. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sioux Falls, SD 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 $2,154 in Sioux Falls, SD. 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, Sioux Falls, SD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.