Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tempe, AZ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,880 in Tempe, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Tempe, AZ
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Tempe, AZ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Tempe, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,880

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,880 per month in Tempe, AZ vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Tempe, AZ $2,880
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,836 per month in Tempe, AZ vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Tempe, AZ $3,836
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,792 per month in Tempe, AZ vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Tempe, AZ $4,792
Nosara $3,818

Tempe, AZ costs about 57% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tempe, AZ and Nosara sit above the global median – Tempe, AZ by 113%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 $19.77

$12.35 ₡5,539

60.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$61.2 ₡27.4K

33.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$7.52 ₡3,373

75.13%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$4.41 ₡1,978

19.05%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$1.74 ₡780

78.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.31 ₡587

86.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 $6.01

$3.28 ₡1,471

83.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$4.47 ₡2,004

60.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.56 ₡701

-37.82%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.02 ₡1,355

39.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$2.51 ₡1,125

146.61%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$3.57 ₡1,603

31.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$7.43 ₡3,333

83.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$10.52 ₡4,717

27.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$13.97 ₡6,265

24.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.35 ₡1,052

127.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.61 ₡720

22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$4.80 ₡2,152

-14.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.61 ₡724

208.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.80 ₡1,703

-33.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.69 ₡1,657

-18.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.13 ₡507

96.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.66 ₡1,191

-14.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$5.18 ₡2,321

110.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 $13.65

$19.88 ₡8,916

-31.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.90 ₡1,300

-16.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.63 ₡1,626

-13.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.12 ₡504

73.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 $64.4

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-11.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.14 ₡958

32.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.57 ₡703

-12.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.42 $35.42

$8.52 ₡3,823

315.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.52 ₡682

-23.03%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

70.02%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.34%

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

$240 $240

$96.3 ₡43.2K

149.65%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$35.89 ₡16.1K

70.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$53.6 ₡24.0K

45.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 $30.16

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-57.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.16 $15.16

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-56.57%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 $13.80

$7.89 ₡3,539

74.90%

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

$1,107 $1,107

$494 ₡221.6K

123.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

29.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 $62.6

$53.9 ₡24.2K

16.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.61 $44.61

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-19.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 $98.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

26.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$79.6 ₡35.7K

41.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 $1,894

$788 ₡353.4K

140.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 $1,460

$794 ₡356.2K

83.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-35.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 $1,683

$1,419 ₡636.5K

18.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,960 $3,960

$864 ₡387.3K

358.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.62

-24.59%

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

Last update for Tempe, AZ: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tempe, AZ

$1.5K 50.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 45.6% $666

Groceries & Markets

Tempe, AZ

$431 15%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 18.2% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tempe, AZ

$380 13.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 51.1% $194

Eating Out

Tempe, AZ

$327 11.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 35.2% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Tempe, AZ

$143 5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 16.1% $23

Getting Around

Tempe, AZ

$82 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 6.5% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tempe, AZ

$58 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 51.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,894 in Tempe, AZ 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 359% higher in Tempe, AZ, 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 Tempe, AZ versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tempe, AZ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:28 2:28 PM

15:28 3:28 PM

1 h ahead of Tempe, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,719

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Tempe, AZ Nosara 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tempe, AZ
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

Tempe, AZ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,880 in Tempe, AZ, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 57% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,320 per month in Tempe, AZ 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 13% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,107 per month in Tempe, AZ 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 Tempe, AZ at $2,880. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tempe, AZ 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 $2,880 in Tempe, AZ. 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, Tempe, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.