Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Virginia Beach, VA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,790 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,790

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,790 per month in Virginia Beach, VA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Virginia Beach, VA $2,790
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,973 per month in Virginia Beach, VA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Virginia Beach, VA $3,973
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,156 per month in Virginia Beach, VA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Virginia Beach, VA $5,156
Nosara $3,712

Virginia Beach, VA costs about 52% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Virginia Beach, VA and Nosara sit above the global median – Virginia Beach, VA by 108%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 $17.76

$12.22 ₡5,509

45.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 $89.6

$60.2 ₡27.1K

48.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$7.54 ₡3,399

61.01%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$4.31 ₡1,941

33.41%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.72 ₡773

61.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.35 ₡608

56.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$3.24 ₡1,459

88.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 $7.21

$4.48 ₡2,018

60.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.57 ₡707

-34.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.17 ₡1,429

-2.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.42 ₡1,091

124.79%

Eggs

$4.66 $4.66

$3.57 ₡1,609

30.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$7.43 ₡3,349

36.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$10.42 ₡4,697

-7.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.11 $18.11

$13.66 ₡6,156

32.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.32 ₡1,044

11.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.61 ₡728

-3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.74 ₡2,138

9.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$1.66 ₡747

240.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$3.72 ₡1,679

-37.10%

Onion (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.57 ₡1,611

29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.10 ₡497

68.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.55 ₡1,149

-12.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 $9.02

$4.95 ₡2,232

82.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 $12.02

$20.01 ₡9,020

-39.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.79 ₡1,256

-34.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.53 ₡1,589

-40.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.19 ₡537

72.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 $69.0

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-4.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.24 ₡1,011

109.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.55 ₡701

-16.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.10 $20.10

$8.86 ₡3,993

126.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.57 ₡708

-33.76%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

64.59%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-26.55%

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

$205 $205

$93.5 ₡42.1K

119.74%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$35.11 ₡15.8K

68.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.6 $66.6

$51.5 ₡23.2K

29.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 $44.34

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-37.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.48 $34.48

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-2.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 $11.89

$7.84 ₡3,535

51.66%

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

$1,586 $1,586

$490 ₡220.7K

224.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

37.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$53.5 ₡24.1K

12.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.89 $47.89

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-14.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$79.3 ₡35.7K

46.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$78.9 ₡35.6K

40.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 $1,823

$786 ₡354.3K

132.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 $1,425

$780 ₡351.6K

82.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,785 $2,785

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-27.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$1,407 ₡634.4K

52.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,287 $2,287

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-67.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,308 $2,308

$1,201 ₡541.3K

92.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,203 $4,203

$876 ₡395.0K

379.67%

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 Virginia Beach, VA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Virginia Beach, VA

$1.4K 51.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 45.3% $645

Groceries & Markets

Virginia Beach, VA

$374 13.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 6.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Virginia Beach, VA

$331 12%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 45.6% $151

Eating Out

Virginia Beach, VA

$312 11.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 32.9% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Virginia Beach, VA

$151 5.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 20.2% $30

Getting Around

Virginia Beach, VA

$88 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1.7% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Virginia Beach, VA

$68 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 27.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,823 in Virginia Beach, VA 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 380% higher in Virginia Beach, VA, 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 $90.0 in Virginia Beach, VA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

07:47 7:47 AM

2 h behind Virginia Beach, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

459,470

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

Virginia Beach, VA Nosara 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Virginia Beach, VA
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

Virginia Beach, VA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,790 in Virginia Beach, VA, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 52% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,185 per month in Virginia Beach, VA 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 4% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,586 per month in Virginia Beach, VA 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 Virginia Beach, VA at $2,790. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Virginia Beach, VA 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 $2,790 in Virginia Beach, VA. 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, Virginia Beach, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.