Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utica, NY and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,496 in Utica, NY, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Utica, NY
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Utica, NY Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Utica, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,496

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,496 per month in Utica, NY vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Utica, NY $2,496
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,915 per month in Utica, NY vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Utica, NY $3,915
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,335 per month in Utica, NY vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Utica, NY $5,335
Nosara $3,712

Utica, NY costs about 36% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Utica, NY and Nosara sit above the global median – Utica, NY by 86%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.73 $16.73

$12.22 ₡5,509

36.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 $74.1

$60.2 ₡27.1K

23.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 $11.10

$7.54 ₡3,399

47.21%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$4.31 ₡1,941

24.59%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$1.72 ₡773

56.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.35 ₡608

27.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.24 ₡1,459

56.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 $5.98

$4.48 ₡2,018

33.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.57 ₡707

-40.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.17 ₡1,429

11.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.42 ₡1,091

23.55%

Eggs

$4.65 $4.65

$3.57 ₡1,609

30.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$7.43 ₡3,349

79.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 $9.99

$10.42 ₡4,697

-4.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.82 $15.82

$13.66 ₡6,156

15.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.32 ₡1,044

110.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.61 ₡728

-7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$4.74 ₡2,138

-11.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$1.66 ₡747

218.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$3.72 ₡1,679

-56.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.57 ₡1,611

-41.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.10 ₡497

119.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.55 ₡1,149

-8.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.55 $13.55

$4.95 ₡2,232

173.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 $12.17

$20.01 ₡9,020

-39.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.79 ₡1,256

-27.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.53 ₡1,589

-1.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.19 ₡537

23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.92 $42.92

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-40.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.24 ₡1,011

129.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.55 ₡701

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.35 $45.35

$8.86 ₡3,993

411.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.57 ₡708

-42.04%

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

$31.8K $31.8K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

45.87%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-28.09%

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

$188 $188

$93.5 ₡42.1K

101.00%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$35.11 ₡15.8K

47.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 $67.5

$51.5 ₡23.2K

31.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.18 $40.18

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-43.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.10 $13.10

$7.84 ₡3,535

67.09%

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

$806 $806

$490 ₡220.7K

64.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K $33.0K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

177.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$53.5 ₡24.1K

0.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.32 $44.32

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-20.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 $83.0

$79.3 ₡35.7K

4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 $89.6

$78.9 ₡35.6K

13.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 $1,183

$786 ₡354.3K

50.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$780 ₡351.6K

65.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,055 $2,055

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-46.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 $2,606

$1,407 ₡634.4K

85.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,624 $1,624

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-76.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,663 $1,663

$1,201 ₡541.3K

38.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,600 $3,600

$876 ₡395.0K

310.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

8.62

-24.36%

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

Last update for Utica, NY: 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

Utica, NY

$1.3K 51.3%

Nosara

$780 43% 39.5% $509

Groceries & Markets

Utica, NY

$377 15%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 7.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Utica, NY

$307 12.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 41.4% $127

Eating Out

Utica, NY

$287 11.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 26.9% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Utica, NY

$122 4.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 1.3% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Utica, NY

$66 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 31.2% $21

Getting Around

Utica, NY

$65 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 34% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,183 in Utica, NY 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 311% higher in Utica, NY, 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 Utica, NY versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Utica, NY

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:33 10:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

2 h behind Utica, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,283

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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Between locations

Utica, NY Nosara 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Utica, NY
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

Utica, NY vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,496 in Utica, NY, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,744 per month in Utica, NY 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.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $806 per month in Utica, NY 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 $1,837, than in Utica, NY at $2,496. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Utica, NY 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 $2,496 in Utica, NY. 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, Utica, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.