Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between State College, PA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,409 in State College, PA, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in State College, PA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

118

Cost of Living Index in State College, PA
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State College, PA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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State College, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,409

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,409 per month in State College, PA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

State College, PA $2,409
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,588 per month in State College, PA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

State College, PA $3,588
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,767 per month in State College, PA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

State College, PA $4,767
Nosara $3,712

State College, PA costs about 31% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both State College, PA and Nosara sit above the global median – State College, PA by 80%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 $14.86

$12.22 ₡5,509

21.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 $65.6

$60.2 ₡27.1K

8.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 $9.54

$7.54 ₡3,399

26.53%

Cappuccino

$3.45 $3.45

$4.31 ₡1,941

-19.95%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.72 ₡773

41.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.35 ₡608

29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.78 $6.78

$3.24 ₡1,459

109.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 $7.59

$4.48 ₡2,018

69.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.57 ₡707

-28.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.17 ₡1,429

-3.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.42 ₡1,091

-16.53%

Eggs

$3.98 $3.98

$3.57 ₡1,609

11.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$7.43 ₡3,349

25.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 $9.25

$10.42 ₡4,697

-11.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.03 $18.03

$13.66 ₡6,156

31.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.32 ₡1,044

55.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.61 ₡728

-17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$4.74 ₡2,138

-3.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.66 ₡747

145.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$3.72 ₡1,679

-53.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.57 ₡1,611

-30.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.10 ₡497

103.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.55 ₡1,149

-40.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.62 $11.62

$4.95 ₡2,232

134.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 $14.47

$20.01 ₡9,020

-27.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.79 ₡1,256

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.53 ₡1,589

1.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.19 ₡537

87.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.5 $84.5

$72.1 ₡32.5K

17.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.24 ₡1,011

125.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.55 ₡701

-30.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.90 $22.90

$8.86 ₡3,993

158.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.57 ₡708

-28.66%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

62.12%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-26.07%

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

$157 $157

$93.5 ₡42.1K

68.50%

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

$40.96 $40.96

$35.11 ₡15.8K

16.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$51.5 ₡23.2K

14.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.20 $25.20

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-64.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$16.41 $16.41

$7.84 ₡3,535

109.31%

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

$1,029 $1,029

$490 ₡220.7K

110.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

132.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.72 $46.72

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-12.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.65 $40.65

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-27.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$79.3 ₡35.7K

0.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$78.9 ₡35.6K

63.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 $1,710

$786 ₡354.3K

117.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 $1,267

$780 ₡351.6K

62.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,788 $2,788

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-27.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$1,407 ₡634.4K

53.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,616 $2,616

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-62.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$1,201 ₡541.3K

100.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 $4,385

$876 ₡395.0K

400.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

8.62

-25.06%

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

Last update for State College, PA: 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

State College, PA

$1.3K 52.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 38.5% $487

Groceries & Markets

State College, PA

$341 14.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 2.6% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

State College, PA

$257 10.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 30% $77

Eating Out

State College, PA

$255 10.6%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 17.8% $45

Clothing & Footwear

State College, PA

$133 5.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 9.6% $13

Getting Around

State College, PA

$104 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 16.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

State College, PA

$58 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 50.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,710 in State College, PA 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 400% higher in State College, PA, 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 $66.0 in State College, PA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $341 in State College, PA vs $350 in Nosara – so State College, PA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 State College, PA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:33 8:33 PM

18:33 6:33 PM

2 h behind State College, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,501

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

State College, PA Nosara 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

State College, PA
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

State College, PA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,409 in State College, PA, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,613 per month in State College, PA 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.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,029 per month in State College, PA and $490 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 $1,837, than in State College, PA at $2,409. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in State College, PA 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 $2,409 in State College, PA. 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, State College, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.