Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Urbandale, IA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,310 in Urbandale, IA, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Urbandale, IA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

113

Cost of Living Index in Urbandale, IA
Learn more

Urbandale, IA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Urbandale, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,310

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Urbandale, IA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Urbandale, IA $2,310
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,374 per month in Urbandale, IA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Urbandale, IA $3,374
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,437 per month in Urbandale, IA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Urbandale, IA $4,437
Nosara $3,814

Urbandale, IA costs about 26% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Urbandale, IA and Nosara sit above the global median – Urbandale, IA by 70%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 $14.86

$12.34 ₡5,535

20.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 $50.9

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-16.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$7.76 ₡3,481

28.35%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$4.44 ₡1,992

11.94%

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

$1.21 $1.21

$1.79 ₡803

-32.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.29 ₡580

-23.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 $5.15

$3.24 ₡1,451

58.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 $7.58

$4.43 ₡1,985

71.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.55 ₡696

-34.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.08 ₡1,380

5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.53 ₡1,133

51.78%

Eggs

$2.05 $2.05

$3.45 ₡1,546

-40.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$7.32 ₡3,284

92.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.24 ₡4,594

-3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.88 $13.88

$14.10 ₡6,326

-1.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.29 ₡1,027

40.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.64 ₡737

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$4.79 ₡2,149

-27.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.64 ₡735

100.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.85 ₡1,727

-19.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.75 ₡1,681

-10.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.09 ₡488

96.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.59 ₡1,160

-18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.12 ₡2,295

59.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.04 $12.04

$19.92 ₡8,931

-39.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.80 ₡1,255

-35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$3.52 ₡1,580

-46.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.22 ₡549

68.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.0 $66.0

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-10.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.17 ₡973

13.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.56 ₡698

-23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.2 $60.2

$8.67 ₡3,886

594.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.55 ₡697

-36.77%

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

$34.6K $34.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

0.03%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-33.88%

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

$140 $140

$94.8 ₡42.5K

47.30%

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

$14.79 $14.79

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-59.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.01 $25.01

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-52.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.57 $35.57

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-51.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.34 $20.34

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-42.91%

Cinema Ticket

$14.81 $14.81

$7.91 ₡3,548

87.23%

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

$1,164 $1,164

$490 ₡219.9K

137.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

74.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 $61.3

$54.8 ₡24.6K

11.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.96 $21.96

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-60.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.54 $45.54

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-43.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 $75.1

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-3.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 $933

$801 ₡359.1K

16.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 $1,290

$790 ₡354.1K

63.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 $1,237

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-69.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,164 $2,164

$1,409 ₡632.0K

53.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,777 $2,777

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-60.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,710 $2,710

$1,236 ₡554.3K

119.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,637 $3,637

$887 ₡397.6K

310.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

8.62

-23.90%

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

Last update for Urbandale, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Urbandale, IA

$1.3K 55.9%

Nosara

$790 43% 38.8% $501

Groceries & Markets

Urbandale, IA

$342 14.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 2.2% $7.5

Eating Out

Urbandale, IA

$258 11.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 17.6% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Urbandale, IA

$179 7.8%

Nosara

$184 10% 2.5% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Urbandale, IA

$92 4%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 31.9% $29

Getting Around

Urbandale, IA

$83 3.6%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 7.3% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Urbandale, IA

$65 2.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 37.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $933 in Urbandale, IA versus $801 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 310% higher in Urbandale, IA, 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 $51.0 in Urbandale, IA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $350 – making Urbandale, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Urbandale, IA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:48 6:48 PM

17:48 5:48 PM

1 h behind Urbandale, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,580

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Urbandale, IA Nosara 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Urbandale, IA
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

Urbandale, IA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,310 in Urbandale, IA, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,465 per month in Urbandale, IA and $2,753 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 12% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,164 per month in Urbandale, IA and $490 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 $1,835, than in Urbandale, IA at $2,310. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Urbandale, IA 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 $1,835 in Nosara to $2,310 in Urbandale, IA. 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, Urbandale, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.