Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Three Rivers, MI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,553 in Three Rivers, MI, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Three Rivers, MI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,553
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,553 per month in Three Rivers, MI vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Three Rivers, MI $2,553
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,726 per month in Three Rivers, MI vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Three Rivers, MI $3,726
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,899 per month in Three Rivers, MI vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Three Rivers, MI $4,899
  • Nosara $3,712

Three Rivers, MI costs about 39% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Three Rivers, MI and Nosara sit above the global median – Three Rivers, MI by 90%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Three Rivers, MI
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.38 $18.38
$12.22 ₡5,509
50.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 $61.2
$60.2 ₡27.1K
1.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.02 $12.02
$7.54 ₡3,399
59.42%
Cappuccino
$5.11 $5.11
$4.31 ₡1,941
18.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 $2.99
$1.72 ₡773
73.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 $2.07
$1.35 ₡608
53.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.38 $6.38
$3.24 ₡1,459
96.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.93 $7.93
$4.48 ₡2,018
77.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Three Rivers, MI
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.57 ₡707
-35.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.82 $3.82
$3.17 ₡1,429
20.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.00 $3.00
$2.42 ₡1,091
23.97%
Eggs
$3.69 $3.69
$3.57 ₡1,609
3.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.34 $13.34
$7.43 ₡3,349
79.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.01 $13.01
$10.42 ₡4,697
24.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.67 $14.67
$13.66 ₡6,156
7.39%
Apples (1kg)
$5.72 $5.72
$2.32 ₡1,044
146.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.61 ₡728
15.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.22 $3.22
$4.74 ₡2,138
-32.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.72 $2.72
$1.66 ₡747
63.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 $2.13
$3.72 ₡1,679
-42.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 $1.67
$3.57 ₡1,611
-53.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.85 $1.85
$1.10 ₡497
68.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$2.55 ₡1,149
-21.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.90 $9.90
$4.95 ₡2,232
100.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.03 $15.03
$20.01 ₡9,020
-24.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.15 $2.15
$2.79 ₡1,256
-22.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.62 $3.62
$3.53 ₡1,589
2.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Three Rivers, MI
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.19 ₡537
48.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.03 $3.03
$2.24 ₡1,011
35.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.55 ₡701
-2.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.56 $26.56
$8.86 ₡3,993
199.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.57 ₡708
-31.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K $36.2K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
65.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K $25.0K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-27.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Three Rivers, MI
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$197 $197
$93.5 ₡42.1K
110.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.7 $58.7
$35.11 ₡15.8K
67.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.6 $72.6
$51.5 ₡23.2K
41.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Three Rivers, MI
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.55 $45.55
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-36.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.22 $13.22
$7.84 ₡3,535
68.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Three Rivers, MI
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,035 $2,035
$490 ₡220.7K
315.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.9K $19.9K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
67.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Three Rivers, MI
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.2 $55.2
$53.5 ₡24.1K
3.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.14 $44.14
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-20.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 $113
$79.3 ₡35.7K
42.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$78.9 ₡35.6K
30.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Three Rivers, MI
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 $1,614
$786 ₡354.3K
105.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,350 $1,350
$780 ₡351.6K
73.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,813 $2,813
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-27.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,417 $2,417
$1,407 ₡634.4K
71.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,491 $2,491
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-64.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,322 $2,322
$1,201 ₡541.3K
93.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Three Rivers, MI
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$876 ₡395.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
8.62
-23.43%

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

Last update for Three Rivers, MI: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Three Rivers, MI
$1.3K
Nosara
$780 42.2% $570
Groceries & Markets
Three Rivers, MI
$380
Nosara
$350 7.9% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Three Rivers, MI
$328
Nosara
$180 45.1% $148
Eating Out
Three Rivers, MI
$312
Nosara
$209 33% $103
Clothing & Footwear
Three Rivers, MI
$142
Nosara
$120 15.2% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Three Rivers, MI
$72
Nosara
$87 21% $15
Getting Around
Three Rivers, MI
$18 *
Nosara
$87 392% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Three Rivers, MI 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Three Rivers, MI versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Three Rivers, MI
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
06:16 6:16 AM
04:16 4:16 AM
2 h behind Three Rivers, MI
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,800
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Three Rivers, MI Nosara 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Three Rivers, MI
  • 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
Three Rivers, MI vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Three Rivers, MI and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,553 in Three Rivers, MI, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Three Rivers, MI compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,829 per month in Three Rivers, MI 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 Three Rivers, MI 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 $61.0 in Three Rivers, MI and $60.0 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 Three Rivers, MI, 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 $1,837, than in Three Rivers, MI at $2,553. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Three Rivers, MI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Three Rivers, MI and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $2,553 in Three Rivers, MI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Three Rivers, MI 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 Three Rivers, MI and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Three Rivers, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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