Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Smithtown, NY and Nosara

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

127

Cost of Living Index in Smithtown, NY
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Smithtown, NY Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Smithtown, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,609 per month in Smithtown, NY vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Smithtown, NY $2,609
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,752 per month in Smithtown, NY vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Smithtown, NY $3,752
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,895 per month in Smithtown, NY vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Smithtown, NY $4,895
Nosara $3,814

Smithtown, NY costs about 42% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Smithtown, NY and Nosara sit above the global median – Smithtown, NY by 93%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.78 $19.78

$12.34 ₡5,535

60.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.0 $50.0

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-18.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$7.76 ₡3,481

28.35%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$4.44 ₡1,992

20.27%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$1.79 ₡803

25.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.29 ₡580

24.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$3.24 ₡1,451

149.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.15 $8.15

$4.43 ₡1,985

83.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.55 ₡696

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.08 ₡1,380

40.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$2.53 ₡1,133

203.95%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$3.45 ₡1,546

71.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$7.32 ₡3,284

69.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$10.24 ₡4,594

-41.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 $17.27

$14.10 ₡6,326

22.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.29 ₡1,027

133.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.64 ₡737

7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.26 $6.26

$4.79 ₡2,149

30.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$1.64 ₡735

279.88%

Potato (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$3.85 ₡1,727

47.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.75 ₡1,681

4.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.09 ₡488

158.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.59 ₡1,160

13.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 $11.55

$5.12 ₡2,295

125.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.38 $24.38

$19.92 ₡8,931

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.80 ₡1,255

-36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 $5.52

$3.52 ₡1,580

56.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.22 ₡549

64.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.17 ₡973

37.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.56 ₡698

28.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.29 $24.29

$8.67 ₡3,886

180.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.55 ₡697

-28.39%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.12%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.07%

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

$212 $212

$94.8 ₡42.5K

123.64%

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

$75.6 $75.6

$36.15 ₡16.2K

109.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 $55.8

$53.1 ₡23.8K

5.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.76 $42.76

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-42.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.87 $11.87

$7.91 ₡3,548

50.06%

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

$2,238 $2,238

$490 ₡219.9K

356.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

101.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.04 $41.04

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-25.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 $58.1

$55.9 ₡25.1K

3.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.2 $59.2

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-26.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 $80.5

$77.9 ₡34.9K

3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$801 ₡359.1K

101.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$790 ₡354.1K

62.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 $2,547

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-36.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,409 ₡632.0K

49.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,055 $3,055

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-56.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,702 $2,702

$1,236 ₡554.3K

118.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.62

-21.69%

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

Last update for Smithtown, NY: 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

Smithtown, NY

$1.3K 49.2%

Nosara

$790 43% 38.5% $494

Groceries & Markets

Smithtown, NY

$463 17.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 24.5% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Smithtown, NY

$343 13.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 46.4% $159

Eating Out

Smithtown, NY

$324 12.4%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 34.4% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Smithtown, NY

$107 4.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 12.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Smithtown, NY

$67 2.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 34.8% $23

Getting Around

Smithtown, NY

$21 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 321% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,618 in Smithtown, NY 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Smithtown, NY versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $463 in Smithtown, NY vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Smithtown, NY

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

05:39 5:39 AM

2 h behind Smithtown, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,296

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Smithtown, NY Nosara 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Smithtown, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,609 in Smithtown, NY, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,914 per month in Smithtown, NY 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 $50.0 in Smithtown, NY 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 32% more in Smithtown, 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 $1,835, than in Smithtown, NY at $2,609. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Smithtown, 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 $1,835 in Nosara to $2,609 in Smithtown, 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, Smithtown, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.