Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset, NJ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,865 in Somerset, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

189

Cost of Living Index in Somerset, NJ
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Somerset, NJ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Somerset, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,865

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,865 per month in Somerset, NJ vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Somerset, NJ $3,865
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,297 per month in Somerset, NJ vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Somerset, NJ $4,297
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,728 per month in Somerset, NJ vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Somerset, NJ $4,728
Nosara $3,818

Somerset, NJ costs about 110% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Somerset, NJ and Nosara sit above the global median – Somerset, NJ by 186%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$12.35 ₡5,539

47.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.28 $39.28

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-35.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.52 ₡3,373

8.51%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$4.41 ₡1,978

10.88%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$1.74 ₡780

12.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.31 ₡587

12.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$3.28 ₡1,471

139.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$4.47 ₡2,004

59.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.56 ₡701

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.02 ₡1,355

45.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.51 ₡1,125

143.82%

Eggs

$2.02 $2.02

$3.57 ₡1,603

-43.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$7.43 ₡3,333

78.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$10.52 ₡4,717

-3.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.45 $19.45

$13.97 ₡6,265

39.23%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.35 ₡1,052

158.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.61 ₡720

116.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.80 ₡2,152

-10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$1.61 ₡724

237.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.80 ₡1,703

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.69 ₡1,657

-17.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.13 ₡507

115.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.66 ₡1,191

11.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.39 $17.39

$5.18 ₡2,321

235.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$19.88 ₡8,916

-23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.90 ₡1,300

-38.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.63 ₡1,626

-3.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.12 ₡504

74.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.14 ₡958

37.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.57 ₡703

42.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.34 $41.34

$8.52 ₡3,823

385.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.52 ₡682

-27.63%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

66.52%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.74%

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

$173 $173

$96.3 ₡43.2K

79.74%

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

$50.0 $50.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

39.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.14 $49.14

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-8.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.91 $40.91

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-42.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$20.32 $20.32

$7.89 ₡3,539

157.54%

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

$2,016 $2,016

$494 ₡221.6K

308.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

37.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.93 $40.93

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-26.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$77.9 ₡34.9K

9.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$79.6 ₡35.7K

30.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$788 ₡353.4K

102.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,626 $2,626

$794 ₡356.2K

230.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 $2,527

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-35.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$1,419 ₡636.5K

48.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,767 $2,767

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-59.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,399 $2,399

$1,224 ₡549.0K

95.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

8.62

-21.11%

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

Last update for Somerset, NJ: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Somerset, NJ

$2.6K 67.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 69.7% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Somerset, NJ

$441 11.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 20.2% $89

Eating Out

Somerset, NJ

$296 7.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 28.5% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerset, NJ

$272 7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 31.8% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Somerset, NJ

$126 3.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 4.8% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Somerset, NJ

$82 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 7.1% $5.8

Getting Around

Somerset, NJ

$22 * 0.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 298% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,599 in Somerset, NJ 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Somerset, NJ versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $441 in Somerset, NJ vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Somerset, NJ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

08:19 8:19 AM

2 h behind Somerset, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,924

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Somerset, NJ Nosara 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Somerset, NJ
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

Somerset, NJ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,865 in Somerset, NJ, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 110% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,798 per month in Somerset, NJ 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Somerset, NJ 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 25% more in Somerset, NJ, 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 $1,839, than in Somerset, NJ at $3,865. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Somerset, NJ 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 $3,865 in Somerset, NJ. 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, Somerset, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.