Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suwanee, GA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,049 in Suwanee, GA, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Suwanee, GA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,049
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,049 per month in Suwanee, GA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Suwanee, GA $3,049
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,233 per month in Suwanee, GA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Suwanee, GA $4,233
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,417 per month in Suwanee, GA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Suwanee, GA $5,417
  • Nosara $3,818

Suwanee, GA costs about 66% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Suwanee, GA and Nosara sit above the global median – Suwanee, GA by 126%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Suwanee, GA
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.92 $19.92
$12.35 ₡5,539
61.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.6 $79.6
$61.2 ₡27.4K
30.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.84 $10.84
$7.52 ₡3,373
44.15%
Cappuccino
$5.53 $5.53
$4.41 ₡1,978
25.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 $2.67
$1.74 ₡780
53.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$1.31 ₡587
60.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.90 $5.90
$3.28 ₡1,471
79.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.52 $7.52
$4.47 ₡2,004
68.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Suwanee, GA
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.88 $0.88
$1.56 ₡701
-43.59%
White Bread (500g)
$3.71 $3.71
$3.02 ₡1,355
22.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.79 $4.79
$2.51 ₡1,125
90.84%
Eggs
$3.90 $3.90
$3.57 ₡1,603
9.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.72 $11.72
$7.43 ₡3,333
57.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.10 $9.10
$10.52 ₡4,717
-13.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.98 $19.98
$13.97 ₡6,265
43.02%
Apples (1kg)
$4.48 $4.48
$2.35 ₡1,052
90.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 $1.56
$1.61 ₡720
-3.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.18 $4.18
$4.80 ₡2,152
-12.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.59 $4.59
$1.61 ₡724
185.09%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 $3.80
$3.80 ₡1,703
-
Onion (1kg)
$3.84 $3.84
$3.69 ₡1,657
4.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.32 $2.32
$1.13 ₡507
105.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 $1.97
$2.66 ₡1,191
-25.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.27 $8.27
$5.18 ₡2,321
59.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.79 $14.79
$19.88 ₡8,916
-25.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 $1.61
$2.90 ₡1,300
-44.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$3.63 ₡1,626
-53.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Suwanee, GA
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.12 ₡504
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 $3.02
$2.14 ₡958
41.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.57 ₡703
-3.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.76 $17.76
$8.52 ₡3,823
108.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.52 ₡682
-37.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K $32.4K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
49.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.4K $25.4K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-26.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Suwanee, GA
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$224 $224
$96.3 ₡43.2K
133.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$66.8 $66.8
$35.89 ₡16.1K
85.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$87.9 $87.9
$53.6 ₡24.0K
64.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Suwanee, GA
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.66 $49.66
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-30.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.74 $14.74
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-57.78%
Cinema Ticket
$17.29 $17.29
$7.89 ₡3,539
119.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Suwanee, GA
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,261 $1,261
$494 ₡221.6K
155.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.1K $10.1K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-14.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Suwanee, GA
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.1 $52.1
$53.9 ₡24.2K
-3.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.52 $44.52
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-19.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.6 $85.6
$77.9 ₡34.9K
9.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 $130
$79.6 ₡35.7K
63.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Suwanee, GA
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$788 ₡353.4K
142.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,727 $1,727
$794 ₡356.2K
117.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,554 $2,554
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-35.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,516 $2,516
$1,419 ₡636.5K
77.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Suwanee, GA
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.72
8.62
-22.04%

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

Last update for Suwanee, GA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Suwanee, GA
$1.7K
Nosara
$794 54% $933
Groceries & Markets
Suwanee, GA
$386
Nosara
$352 8.6% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Suwanee, GA
$379
Nosara
$186 51% $193
Eating Out
Suwanee, GA
$322
Nosara
$212 34.2% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Suwanee, GA
$141
Nosara
$120 14.5% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Suwanee, GA
$84
Nosara
$87 3.7% $3.1
Getting Around
Suwanee, GA
$11 *
Nosara
$87 725% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,907 in Suwanee, GA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Suwanee, GA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Suwanee, GA
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
17:05 5:05 PM
15:05 3:05 PM
2 h behind Suwanee, GA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,549
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Suwanee, GA Nosara 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Suwanee, GA
  • 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
Suwanee, GA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Suwanee, GA and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,049 in Suwanee, GA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Suwanee, GA compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,573 per month in Suwanee, GA and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Suwanee, GA and Nosara?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Suwanee, GA and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 9% more in Suwanee, GA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Suwanee, GA at $3,049. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Suwanee, GA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Suwanee, GA and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $3,049 in Suwanee, GA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Suwanee, GA or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Suwanee, GA and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Suwanee, GA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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