Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Troy, MI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,296 in Troy, MI, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Troy, MI
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Troy, MI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Troy, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,296

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,296 per month in Troy, MI vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Troy, MI $2,296
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,526 per month in Troy, MI vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Troy, MI $3,526
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,756 per month in Troy, MI vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Troy, MI $4,756
Nosara $3,712

Troy, MI costs about 25% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Troy, MI and Nosara sit above the global median – Troy, MI by 71%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.61 $16.61

$12.22 ₡5,509

35.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 $74.3

$60.2 ₡27.1K

23.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 $10.33

$7.54 ₡3,399

37.00%

Cappuccino

$4.38 $4.38

$4.31 ₡1,941

1.62%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$1.72 ₡773

47.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.35 ₡608

39.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.24 ₡1,459

56.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.48 ₡2,018

33.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.57 ₡707

-49.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.17 ₡1,429

-5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.42 ₡1,091

90.91%

Eggs

$2.85 $2.85

$3.57 ₡1,609

-20.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 $10.87

$7.43 ₡3,349

46.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 $8.86

$10.42 ₡4,697

-14.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 $14.84

$13.66 ₡6,156

8.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.32 ₡1,044

46.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.61 ₡728

-30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$4.74 ₡2,138

-26.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.66 ₡747

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.72 ₡1,679

-30.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.57 ₡1,611

-11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.10 ₡497

100.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.55 ₡1,149

-2.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 $9.22

$4.95 ₡2,232

86.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 $13.72

$20.01 ₡9,020

-31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.79 ₡1,256

-42.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.53 ₡1,589

-30.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.19 ₡537

154.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.99 $9.99

$2.24 ₡1,011

345.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.55 ₡701

94.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.91 $9.91

$8.86 ₡3,993

11.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.57 ₡708

-35.03%

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

$34.7K $34.7K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

59.01%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-29.24%

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

$170 $170

$93.5 ₡42.1K

82.24%

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

$42.35 $42.35

$35.11 ₡15.8K

20.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.59 $44.59

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-13.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.30 $34.30

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-51.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.93 $35.93

$35.44 ₡16.0K

1.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 $9.94

$7.84 ₡3,535

26.79%

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

$1,783 $1,783

$490 ₡220.7K

264.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K $14.9K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

25.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 $52.0

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-2.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.75 $21.75

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-61.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 $82.4

$79.3 ₡35.7K

4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.1 $91.1

$78.9 ₡35.6K

15.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 $1,356

$786 ₡354.3K

72.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 $1,203

$780 ₡351.6K

54.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 $2,362

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-38.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,231 $2,231

$1,407 ₡634.4K

58.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,645 $2,645

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-62.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,260 $2,260

$1,201 ₡541.3K

88.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,560 $5,560

$876 ₡395.0K

534.52%

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 Troy, MI: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Troy, MI

$1.2K 52.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 35.2% $423

Groceries & Markets

Troy, MI

$341 15%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 2.6% $8.7

Eating Out

Troy, MI

$271 11.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 22.8% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Troy, MI

$257 11.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 30% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Troy, MI

$111 4.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 8.1% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Troy, MI

$54 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 60.7% $33

Getting Around

Troy, MI

$37 * 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 133% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,356 in Troy, 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.

Salaries run about 535% higher in Troy, MI, 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 $74.0 in Troy, MI versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $341 in Troy, MI vs $350 in Nosara – so Troy, MI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Troy, MI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

06:48 6:48 AM

2 h behind Troy, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,401

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

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Highest

Between locations

Troy, MI Nosara 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Troy, 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

Troy, MI vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,296 in Troy, MI, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,444 per month in Troy, MI 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 $74.0 in Troy, MI and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Troy, MI – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Troy, MI at $2,296. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Troy, MI 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 $2,296 in Troy, MI. 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, Troy, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.