Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulsa, OK and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,298 in Tulsa, OK, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Tulsa, OK
🇺🇸 United States
$2,298
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,298 per month in Tulsa, OK vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Tulsa, OK $2,298
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,423 per month in Tulsa, OK vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Tulsa, OK $3,423
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,548 per month in Tulsa, OK vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Tulsa, OK $4,548
  • Nosara $3,712

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

Both Tulsa, OK and Nosara sit above the global median – Tulsa, OK by 71%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tulsa, OK
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.26 $16.26
$12.22 ₡5,509
33.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.5 $73.5
$60.2 ₡27.1K
22.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.87 $9.87
$7.54 ₡3,399
30.90%
Cappuccino
$5.14 $5.14
$4.31 ₡1,941
19.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.72 ₡773
33.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 $1.72
$1.35 ₡608
27.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.89 $4.89
$3.24 ₡1,459
50.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.82 $6.82
$4.48 ₡2,018
52.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tulsa, OK
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 $1.10
$1.57 ₡707
-29.94%
White Bread (500g)
$3.44 $3.44
$3.17 ₡1,429
8.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.74 $5.74
$2.42 ₡1,091
137.19%
Eggs
$4.10 $4.10
$3.57 ₡1,609
14.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.99 $14.99
$7.43 ₡3,349
101.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.17 $12.17
$10.42 ₡4,697
16.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.67 $15.67
$13.66 ₡6,156
14.71%
Apples (1kg)
$4.40 $4.40
$2.32 ₡1,044
89.66%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.61 ₡728
7.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.72 $3.72
$4.74 ₡2,138
-21.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.83 $3.83
$1.66 ₡747
130.72%
Potato (1kg)
$2.68 $2.68
$3.72 ₡1,679
-27.96%
Onion (1kg)
$2.89 $2.89
$3.57 ₡1,611
-19.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.93 $1.93
$1.10 ₡497
75.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 $2.27
$2.55 ₡1,149
-10.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$4.95 ₡2,232
99.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.26 $13.26
$20.01 ₡9,020
-33.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 $1.92
$2.79 ₡1,256
-31.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.66 $4.66
$3.53 ₡1,589
32.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Tulsa, OK
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.19 ₡537
48.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.51 $44.51
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-38.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.99 $1.99
$2.24 ₡1,011
-11.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.21 $1.21
$1.55 ₡701
-21.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.71 $29.71
$8.86 ₡3,993
235.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$1.57 ₡708
-40.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K $35.4K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
62.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K $25.2K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-27.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tulsa, OK
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$241 $241
$93.5 ₡42.1K
158.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$35.11 ₡15.8K
101.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.6 $64.6
$51.5 ₡23.2K
25.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tulsa, OK
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.08 $48.08
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-32.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.81 $19.81
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-44.10%
Cinema Ticket
$14.71 $14.71
$7.84 ₡3,535
87.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tulsa, OK
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,156 $1,156
$490 ₡220.7K
136.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K $25.6K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
115.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tulsa, OK
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.5 $74.5
$53.5 ₡24.1K
39.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.6 $62.6
$55.8 ₡25.1K
12.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 $122
$79.3 ₡35.7K
53.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149 $149
$78.9 ₡35.6K
89.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tulsa, OK
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,250 $1,250
$786 ₡354.3K
59.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$911 $911
$780 ₡351.6K
16.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,023 $2,023
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-47.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,515 $1,515
$1,407 ₡634.4K
7.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,798 $1,798
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-74.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,688 $1,688
$1,201 ₡541.3K
40.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tulsa, OK
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,507 $3,507
$876 ₡395.0K
300.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
8.62
-23.55%

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

Last update for Tulsa, OK: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tulsa, OK
$911
Nosara
$780 14.4% $131
Groceries & Markets
Tulsa, OK
$398
Nosara
$350 12.2% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tulsa, OK
$377
Nosara
$180 52.2% $196
Eating Out
Tulsa, OK
$276
Nosara
$209 24% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Tulsa, OK
$184
Nosara
$120 34.5% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Tulsa, OK
$77
Nosara
$87 12.4% $9.6
Getting Around
Tulsa, OK
$60
Nosara
$87 45.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,250 in Tulsa, OK 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 300% higher in Tulsa, OK, 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 $73.0 in Tulsa, OK versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Tulsa, OK
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
00:13 12:13 AM
23:13 11:13 PM
1 h behind Tulsa, OK
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
413,066
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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tulsa, OK Nosara 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tulsa, OK
  • 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
Tulsa, OK vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tulsa, OK and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,298 in Tulsa, OK, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Tulsa, OK compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,446 per month in Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 62% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Tulsa, OK and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $1,156 per month in Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK at $2,298. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tulsa, OK it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Tulsa, OK and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $2,298 in Tulsa, OK. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tulsa, OK makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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