Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Springfield, MA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,066 in Springfield, MA, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, MA
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Springfield, MA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Springfield, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,066

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,066 per month in Springfield, MA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Springfield, MA $3,066
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,307 per month in Springfield, MA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Springfield, MA $4,307
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,548 per month in Springfield, MA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Springfield, MA $5,548
Nosara $3,818

Springfield, MA costs about 67% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Springfield, MA and Nosara sit above the global median – Springfield, MA by 127%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.28 $23.28

$12.35 ₡5,539

88.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 $82.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

34.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 $14.08

$7.52 ₡3,373

87.23%

Cappuccino

$6.29 $6.29

$4.41 ₡1,978

42.63%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$1.74 ₡780

55.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.31 ₡587

48.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.28 ₡1,471

81.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$4.47 ₡2,004

95.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.56 ₡701

-32.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.02 ₡1,355

-11.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.51 ₡1,125

-14.74%

Eggs

$3.52 $3.52

$3.57 ₡1,603

-1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.49 $16.49

$7.43 ₡3,333

121.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$10.52 ₡4,717

5.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.32 $18.32

$13.97 ₡6,265

31.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.35 ₡1,052

106.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.61 ₡720

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$4.80 ₡2,152

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$1.61 ₡724

191.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.80 ₡1,703

-13.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.69 ₡1,657

0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.13 ₡507

97.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.66 ₡1,191

-24.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.75 $13.75

$5.18 ₡2,321

165.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.07 $14.07

$19.88 ₡8,916

-29.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.90 ₡1,300

-40.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.63 ₡1,626

8.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.12 ₡504

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 $53.9

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-25.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.14 ₡958

127.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.57 ₡703

-10.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.26 $30.26

$8.52 ₡3,823

255.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.52 ₡682

-38.16%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

66.69%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.89%

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

$211 $211

$96.3 ₡43.2K

119.40%

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

$70.3 $70.3

$35.89 ₡16.1K

95.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$53.6 ₡24.0K

32.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.96 $27.96

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-60.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.16 $19.16

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-45.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$7.89 ₡3,539

86.95%

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

$1,488 $1,488

$494 ₡221.6K

201.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

42.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-6.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.58 $39.58

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-28.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$77.9 ₡34.9K

44.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$79.6 ₡35.7K

34.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 $1,801

$788 ₡353.4K

128.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 $1,681

$794 ₡356.2K

111.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,412 $2,412

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-38.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,456 $2,456

$1,419 ₡636.5K

73.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,402 $2,402

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-65.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,476 $2,476

$1,224 ₡549.0K

102.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 $3,787

$864 ₡387.3K

338.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.28

8.62

-27.15%

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

Last update for Springfield, MA: 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

Springfield, MA

$1.7K 54.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 52.7% $886

Groceries & Markets

Springfield, MA

$393 12.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 10.4% $41

Eating Out

Springfield, MA

$370 12.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 42.7% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Springfield, MA

$352 11.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 47.3% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Springfield, MA

$139 4.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 13.8% $19

Getting Around

Springfield, MA

$74 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 17.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Springfield, MA

$57 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 52.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,801 in Springfield, MA 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.

Salaries run about 339% higher in Springfield, MA, 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 $82.0 in Springfield, MA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Springfield, MA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

2 h behind Springfield, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,482

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

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Between locations

Springfield, MA Nosara 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Springfield, MA
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

Springfield, MA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,066 in Springfield, MA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 67% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,600 per month in Springfield, MA 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.

Public transport costs about 35% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,488 per month in Springfield, MA and $494 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 $1,839, than in Springfield, MA at $3,066. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Springfield, MA 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 $3,066 in Springfield, MA. 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, Springfield, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.