Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sumter, SC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,107 in Sumter, SC, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Sumter, SC
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Sumter, SC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sumter, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,107

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in Sumter, SC vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Sumter, SC $2,107
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,015 per month in Sumter, SC vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Sumter, SC $3,015
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,922 per month in Sumter, SC vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Sumter, SC $3,922
Nosara $3,712

Sumter, SC costs about 15% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sumter, SC and Nosara sit above the global median – Sumter, SC by 57%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 $17.72

$12.22 ₡5,509

45.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 $54.9

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-8.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 $10.92

$7.54 ₡3,399

44.83%

Cappuccino

$5.67 $5.67

$4.31 ₡1,941

31.55%

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

$1.92 $1.92

$1.72 ₡773

11.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.35 ₡608

1.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$3.24 ₡1,459

84.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$4.48 ₡2,018

54.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.57 ₡707

-35.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.17 ₡1,429

24.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.42 ₡1,091

34.30%

Eggs

$4.39 $4.39

$3.57 ₡1,609

22.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.88 $16.88

$7.43 ₡3,349

127.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.93 $15.93

$10.42 ₡4,697

52.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 $18.47

$13.66 ₡6,156

35.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.32 ₡1,044

125.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.61 ₡728

-11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.74 ₡2,138

-3.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.66 ₡747

184.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.57 ₡1,611

-13.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.10 ₡497

85.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.55 ₡1,149

-8.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.99 $9.99

$4.95 ₡2,232

101.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.57 $15.57

$20.01 ₡9,020

-22.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.79 ₡1,256

-16.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.53 ₡1,589

7.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.24 ₡1,011

32.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.55 ₡701

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.82 $29.82

$8.86 ₡3,993

236.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.57 ₡708

-50.32%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

63.66%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-26.86%

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

$175 $175

$93.5 ₡42.1K

87.30%

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

$68.8 $68.8

$35.11 ₡15.8K

95.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 $80.9

$51.5 ₡23.2K

57.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.78 $14.78

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-79.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.14 $5.14

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-85.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 $6.83

$7.84 ₡3,535

-12.88%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$490 ₡220.7K

208.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K $24.4K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

105.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-5.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.80 $37.80

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-32.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 $95.9

$79.3 ₡35.7K

21.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$78.9 ₡35.6K

82.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 $1,026

$786 ₡354.3K

30.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 $800

$780 ₡351.6K

2.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 $1,306

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-66.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 $1,239

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-11.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,477 $1,477

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-78.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,473 $1,473

$1,201 ₡541.3K

22.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,117 $4,117

$876 ₡395.0K

369.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

8.62

-24.83%

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

Last update for Sumter, SC: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sumter, SC

$800 38.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 2.5% $20

Groceries & Markets

Sumter, SC

$447 21.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 21.7% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sumter, SC

$325 15.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 44.6% $145

Eating Out

Sumter, SC

$300 14.5%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 30.1% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Sumter, SC

$148 7.2%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 18.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Sumter, SC

$28 1.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 206% $59

Getting Around

Sumter, SC

$12 * 0.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 596% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Sumter, SC 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 370% higher in Sumter, SC, 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 $55.0 in Sumter, SC versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Sumter, SC vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sumter, SC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

02:36 2:36 AM

2 h behind Sumter, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,159

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sumter, SC Nosara 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Sumter, SC
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

Sumter, SC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,107 in Sumter, SC, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,161 per month in Sumter, SC 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 $55.0 in Sumter, SC 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 Sumter, SC, 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 Sumter, SC at $2,107. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sumter, SC 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 $2,107 in Sumter, SC. 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, Sumter, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.