Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Portland, ME and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,994 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
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South Portland, ME Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,994 per month in South Portland, ME vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

South Portland, ME $2,994
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,563 per month in South Portland, ME vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

South Portland, ME $4,563
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $6,131 per month in South Portland, ME vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

South Portland, ME $6,131
Nosara $3,712

South Portland, ME costs about 63% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both South Portland, ME and Nosara sit above the global median – South Portland, ME by 123%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$12.22 ₡5,509

100.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$60.2 ₡27.1K

99.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.81 $14.81

$7.54 ₡3,399

96.42%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$4.31 ₡1,941

19.03%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$1.72 ₡773

76.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.35 ₡608

75.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$3.24 ₡1,459

141.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$4.48 ₡2,018

79.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.57 ₡707

-34.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.17 ₡1,429

43.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.23 $7.23

$2.42 ₡1,091

198.76%

Eggs

$3.93 $3.93

$3.57 ₡1,609

10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 $15.46

$7.43 ₡3,349

108.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 $10.02

$10.42 ₡4,697

-3.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$13.66 ₡6,156

16.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.32 ₡1,044

118.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.61 ₡728

6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.74 ₡2,138

14.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$1.66 ₡747

344.58%

Potato (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.72 ₡1,679

19.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.57 ₡1,611

5.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.10 ₡497

174.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.55 ₡1,149

-1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.11 $11.11

$4.95 ₡2,232

124.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$20.01 ₡9,020

-26.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.79 ₡1,256

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$3.53 ₡1,589

-26.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.19 ₡537

73.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.24 ₡1,011

-8.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.55 ₡701

1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.11 $11.11

$8.86 ₡3,993

25.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.57 ₡708

-30.57%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

65.40%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-27.50%

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

$239 $239

$93.5 ₡42.1K

155.31%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$35.11 ₡15.8K

99.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.1 $78.1

$51.5 ₡23.2K

51.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 $61.0

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-14.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.63 $29.63

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-16.39%

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 $15.21

$7.84 ₡3,535

94.01%

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

$402 $402

$490 ₡220.7K

-17.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K $15.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

28.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-2.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 $52.3

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-6.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$79.3 ₡35.7K

30.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$78.9 ₡35.6K

70.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 $1,933

$786 ₡354.3K

146.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$780 ₡351.6K

95.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,149 $3,149

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-18.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,643 $2,643

$1,407 ₡634.4K

87.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,801 $2,801

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-59.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$1,201 ₡541.3K

100.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,254 $4,254

$876 ₡395.0K

385.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

8.62

-22.85%

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

Last update for South Portland, ME: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.7%

Nosara

$780 43% 48.7% $741

Groceries & Markets

South Portland, ME

$446 14.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 21.7% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Portland, ME

$387 12.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 53.4% $207

Eating Out

South Portland, ME

$379 12.7%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 44.8% $170

Clothing & Footwear

South Portland, ME

$154 5.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 21.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

South Portland, ME

$91 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 4.7% $4.3

Getting Around

South Portland, ME

$18 * 0.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 376% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,933 in South Portland, ME 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 385% higher in South Portland, ME, 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 $120 in South Portland, ME versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $446 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:57 2:57 AM

00:57 12:57 AM

2 h behind South Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,498

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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Portland, ME Nosara 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

South Portland, ME
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

South Portland, ME vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,994 in South Portland, ME, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,491 per month in South Portland, ME 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in South Portland, ME and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in South Portland, ME, 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 $1,837, than in South Portland, ME at $2,994. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in South Portland, ME 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 $2,994 in South Portland, ME. 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, South Portland, ME makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.