Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Syracuse, NY and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,032 in Syracuse, NY, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Syracuse, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$3,032
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,032 per month in Syracuse, NY vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Syracuse, NY $3,032
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,117 per month in Syracuse, NY vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Syracuse, NY $4,117
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,202 per month in Syracuse, NY vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Syracuse, NY $5,202
  • Nosara $3,712

Syracuse, NY costs about 65% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Syracuse, NY and Nosara sit above the global median – Syracuse, NY by 126%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Syracuse, NY
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.86 $17.86
$12.22 ₡5,509
46.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.7 $77.7
$60.2 ₡27.1K
29.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.17 $12.17
$7.54 ₡3,399
61.41%
Cappuccino
$5.99 $5.99
$4.31 ₡1,941
38.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 $2.73
$1.72 ₡773
58.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.35 ₡608
48.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.83 $6.83
$3.24 ₡1,459
110.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.69 $7.69
$4.48 ₡2,018
71.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Syracuse, NY
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.88 $0.88
$1.57 ₡707
-43.95%
White Bread (500g)
$3.33 $3.33
$3.17 ₡1,429
5.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.57 $4.57
$2.42 ₡1,091
88.84%
Eggs
$4.01 $4.01
$3.57 ₡1,609
12.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.09 $11.09
$7.43 ₡3,349
49.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.54 $13.54
$10.42 ₡4,697
29.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.15 $18.15
$13.66 ₡6,156
32.87%
Apples (1kg)
$6.35 $6.35
$2.32 ₡1,044
173.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 $1.38
$1.61 ₡728
-14.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.15 $5.15
$4.74 ₡2,138
8.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.84 $6.84
$1.66 ₡747
312.05%
Potato (1kg)
$2.90 $2.90
$3.72 ₡1,679
-22.04%
Onion (1kg)
$3.77 $3.77
$3.57 ₡1,611
5.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.99 $2.99
$1.10 ₡497
171.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.61 $2.61
$2.55 ₡1,149
2.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.54 $14.54
$4.95 ₡2,232
193.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.89 $14.89
$20.01 ₡9,020
-25.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.04 $3.04
$2.79 ₡1,256
8.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.65 $4.65
$3.53 ₡1,589
31.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Syracuse, NY
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.74 $2.74
$1.19 ₡537
130.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$115 $115
$72.1 ₡32.5K
59.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.96 $3.96
$2.24 ₡1,011
76.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.19 $2.19
$1.55 ₡701
41.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.72 $29.72
$8.86 ₡3,993
235.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.57 ₡708
-29.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K $35.7K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
63.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-23.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Syracuse, NY
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$234 $234
$93.5 ₡42.1K
150.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.2 $58.2
$35.11 ₡15.8K
65.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.7 $73.7
$51.5 ₡23.2K
43.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Syracuse, NY
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.9 $53.9
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-24.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$32.41 $32.41
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-8.55%
Cinema Ticket
$14.71 $14.71
$7.84 ₡3,535
87.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Syracuse, NY
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,708 $1,708
$490 ₡220.7K
248.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.7K $17.7K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
49.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Syracuse, NY
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.9 $54.9
$53.5 ₡24.1K
2.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.56 $47.56
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-14.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 $96.0
$79.3 ₡35.7K
21.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 $123
$78.9 ₡35.6K
56.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Syracuse, NY
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,706 $1,706
$786 ₡354.3K
117.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,525 $1,525
$780 ₡351.6K
95.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,214 $3,214
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-16.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,967 $1,967
$1,407 ₡634.4K
39.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,784 $1,784
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-74.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,895 $1,895
$1,201 ₡541.3K
57.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Syracuse, NY
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,627 $3,627
$876 ₡395.0K
313.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.67
8.62
-22.62%

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

Last update for Syracuse, NY: 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
Syracuse, NY
$1.5K
Nosara
$780 48.9% $745
Groceries & Markets
Syracuse, NY
$440
Nosara
$350 20.6% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Syracuse, NY
$366
Nosara
$180 50.8% $186
Eating Out
Syracuse, NY
$320
Nosara
$209 34.5% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Syracuse, NY
$145
Nosara
$120 16.9% $24
Getting Around
Syracuse, NY
$141
Nosara
$87 38.5% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Syracuse, NY
$83
Nosara
$87 4.6% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,706 in Syracuse, NY 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 314% higher in Syracuse, NY, 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 $78.0 in Syracuse, NY versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $440 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Syracuse, NY
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
06:12 6:12 AM
04:12 4:12 AM
2 h behind Syracuse, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
148,620
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Syracuse, NY Nosara 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Syracuse, NY
  • 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
Syracuse, NY vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Syracuse, NY and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,032 in Syracuse, NY, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 65% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Syracuse, NY compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,548 per month in Syracuse, NY and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Syracuse, NY 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.
How do commuting costs compare in Syracuse, NY and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 60% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Syracuse, NY and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $1,708 per month in Syracuse, NY and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
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 $1,837, than in Syracuse, NY at $3,032. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Syracuse, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Syracuse, NY and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $3,032 in Syracuse, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Syracuse, NY 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 Syracuse, NY and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Syracuse, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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