Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springdale, AR and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,846 a month against $2,649 in Springdale, AR, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Springdale, AR, United States
Nosara, Costa Rica
Springdale, AR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,649
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,846
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,649 per month in Springdale, AR vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Springdale, AR $2,649
  • Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Springdale, AR vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Springdale, AR $3,845
  • Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $5,041 per month in Springdale, AR vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Springdale, AR $5,041
  • Nosara $3,820

Springdale, AR costs about 44% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Springdale, AR and Nosara sit above the global median – Springdale, AR by 95%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Springdale, AR
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.15 $19.15
$12.36 ₡5,578
54.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.9 $75.9
$60.8 ₡27.4K
24.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.85 $10.85
$7.88 ₡3,558
37.69%
Cappuccino
$5.20 $5.20
$4.40 ₡1,987
18.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$1.72 ₡776
43.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.34 ₡603
47.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.11 $6.11
$3.34 ₡1,506
82.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.07 $7.07
$4.54 ₡2,049
55.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Springdale, AR
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.64 ₡739
-36.59%
White Bread (500g)
$3.52 $3.52
$3.16 ₡1,427
11.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$2.39 ₡1,080
83.26%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.47 ₡1,564
20.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.42 $12.42
$7.13 ₡3,219
74.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.22 $11.22
$10.32 ₡4,657
8.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.51 $15.51
$13.97 ₡6,305
11.02%
Apples (1kg)
$4.83 $4.83
$2.29 ₡1,032
110.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 $1.64
$1.62 ₡732
1.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.31 $4.31
$4.81 ₡2,171
-10.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.81 $4.81
$1.68 ₡758
186.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.87 $2.87
$3.91 ₡1,766
-26.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.80 $2.80
$3.63 ₡1,641
-22.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.13 ₡510
80.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$2.63 ₡1,188
-20.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.44 $9.44
$5.02 ₡2,268
88.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.25 $14.25
$19.71 ₡8,897
-27.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$2.91 ₡1,315
-38.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$3.54 ₡1,598
-2.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Springdale, AR
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.03 $2.03
$1.21 ₡545
67.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.3 $55.3
$73.8 ₡33.3K
-25.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.60 $3.60
$2.15 ₡970
67.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.63 ₡738
1.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.26 $29.26
$8.77 ₡3,960
233.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 $0.90
$1.55 ₡701
-41.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K $29.7K
$33.9K ₡15.3M
-12.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K $26.1K
$38.5K ₡17.4M
-32.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Springdale, AR
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$95.2 ₡43.0K
97.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$53.4 $53.4
$36.29 ₡16.4K
47.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.0 $68.0
$52.0 ₡23.5K
30.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Springdale, AR
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.89 $42.89
$67.6 ₡30.5K
-36.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.55 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.41 $13.41
$7.54 ₡3,405
77.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Springdale, AR
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,273 $1,273
$496 ₡224.1K
156.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.0K $23.0K
$11.8K ₡5.3M
95.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Springdale, AR
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.5 $50.5
$55.1 ₡24.9K
-8.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.19 $40.19
$56.1 ₡25.3K
-28.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.4 $86.4
$77.8 ₡35.1K
10.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 $112
$79.1 ₡35.7K
41.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Springdale, AR
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,586 $1,586
$817 ₡369.0K
94.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,368 $1,368
$806 ₡363.8K
69.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,602 $2,602
$3,988 ₡1.8M
-34.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,201 $2,201
$1,429 ₡645.2K
54.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,799 $2,799
$7,068 ₡3.2M
-60.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,415 $2,415
$1,197 ₡540.3K
101.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Springdale, AR
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$888 ₡400.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.51
8.62
-24.48%

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

Last update for Springdale, AR: October 24, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Springdale, AR
$1.4K
Nosara
$806 41.1% $562
Groceries & Markets
Springdale, AR
$387
Nosara
$351 9.2% $36
Eating Out
Springdale, AR
$311
Nosara
$213 31.3% $97
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Springdale, AR
$309
Nosara
$184 40.6% $126
Clothing & Footwear
Springdale, AR
$130
Nosara
$121 7.2% $9.4
Getting Around
Springdale, AR
$75
Nosara
$89 18.1% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Springdale, AR
$70
Nosara
$83 18.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,586 in Springdale, AR versus $817 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 $76 in Springdale, AR versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $351 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Springdale, AR
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
05:43 5:43 AM
04:43 4:43 AM
1 h behind Springdale, AR
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
84,161
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Springdale, AR Nosara 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Springdale, AR
  • 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
Springdale, AR vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Springdale, AR and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,649 in Springdale, AR, $1,846 in Nosara – Nosara comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Springdale, AR compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,974 per month in Springdale, AR and $2,769 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Springdale, AR and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,586 in Springdale, AR.
How do commuting costs compare in Springdale, AR and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 25% less in Springdale, AR. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Springdale, AR and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $1,273 per month in Springdale, AR and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $3,000 go in Springdale, AR compared to Nosara?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,649 in Springdale, AR and $1,846 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Springdale, AR or Nosara?
Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Springdale, AR vs other spots: cost of living compared

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