Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valdez, AK and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,724 in Valdez, AK, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Valdez, AK
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Valdez, AK Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Valdez, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,724

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,724 per month in Valdez, AK vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Valdez, AK $2,724
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,067 per month in Valdez, AK vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Valdez, AK $4,067
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,410 per month in Valdez, AK vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Valdez, AK $5,410
Nosara $3,712

Valdez, AK costs about 48% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Valdez, AK and Nosara sit above the global median – Valdez, AK by 103%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.01 $24.01

$12.22 ₡5,509

96.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$60.2 ₡27.1K

69.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.75 $19.75

$7.54 ₡3,399

161.94%

Cappuccino

$4.16 $4.16

$4.31 ₡1,941

-3.48%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$1.72 ₡773

44.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.35 ₡608

65.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.24 ₡1,459

113.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$4.48 ₡2,018

103.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.57 ₡707

-35.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.17 ₡1,429

11.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.42 ₡1,091

80.58%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$3.57 ₡1,609

19.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$7.43 ₡3,349

69.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$10.42 ₡4,697

9.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$13.66 ₡6,156

22.77%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$2.32 ₡1,044

115.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.61 ₡728

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.74 ₡2,138

-11.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.66 ₡747

184.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.72 ₡1,679

-22.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.57 ₡1,611

-18.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.10 ₡497

98.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.55 ₡1,149

-10.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.11 $10.11

$4.95 ₡2,232

104.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$20.01 ₡9,020

-25.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.79 ₡1,256

-27.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.53 ₡1,589

-4.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.19 ₡537

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.24 ₡1,011

62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.55 ₡701

3.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.73 $27.73

$8.86 ₡3,993

212.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.57 ₡708

-14.65%

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

$34.6K $34.6K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

58.74%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-27.22%

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

$309 $309

$93.5 ₡42.1K

230.22%

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

$57.8 $57.8

$35.11 ₡15.8K

64.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.8 $97.8

$51.5 ₡23.2K

89.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.96 $41.96

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-41.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 $14.07

$7.84 ₡3,535

79.46%

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

$1,567 $1,567

$490 ₡220.7K

220.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

94.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$53.5 ₡24.1K

7.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.87 $35.87

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-35.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$79.3 ₡35.7K

16.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$78.9 ₡35.6K

61.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 $1,580

$786 ₡354.3K

101.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$780 ₡351.6K

67.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,688 $2,688

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-30.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$1,407 ₡634.4K

72.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-66.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,178 $2,178

$1,201 ₡541.3K

81.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,523 $7,523

$876 ₡395.0K

758.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Valdez, AK: 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

Valdez, AK

$1.3K 47.1%

Nosara

$780 43% 40.3% $527

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valdez, AK

$464 16.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 61.2% $284

Groceries & Markets

Valdez, AK

$398 14.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 12.1% $48

Eating Out

Valdez, AK

$373 13.5%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 43.8% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Valdez, AK

$141 5.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 14.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Valdez, AK

$70 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 24.2% $17

Getting Around

Valdez, AK

$20 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 337% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,580 in Valdez, AK 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 758% higher in Valdez, AK, 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 $102 in Valdez, AK 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

🇺🇸 Valdez, AK

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

23:47 11:47 PM

2 h ahead of Valdez, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,000

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 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Valdez, AK Nosara 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Valdez, AK
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

Valdez, AK vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,724 in Valdez, AK, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 48% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,086 per month in Valdez, AK 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 $102 in Valdez, AK and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Valdez, AK, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Valdez, AK at $2,724. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Valdez, AK 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 $2,724 in Valdez, AK. 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, Valdez, AK makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.