Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Williston, ND and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,190 in Williston, ND, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Williston, ND
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Williston, ND Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Williston, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,190

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,190 per month in Williston, ND vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Williston, ND $2,190
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,609 per month in Williston, ND vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Williston, ND $3,609
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,028 per month in Williston, ND vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Williston, ND $5,028
Nosara $3,814

Williston, ND costs about 19% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Williston, ND and Nosara sit above the global median – Williston, ND by 62%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.94 $19.94

$12.34 ₡5,535

61.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$61.3 ₡27.5K

22.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 $11.38

$7.76 ₡3,481

46.65%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$4.44 ₡1,992

21.17%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$1.79 ₡803

50.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.29 ₡580

57.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 $6.82

$3.24 ₡1,451

110.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 $8.29

$4.43 ₡1,985

87.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.55 ₡696

-33.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.08 ₡1,380

-32.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.53 ₡1,133

62.45%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.45 ₡1,546

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.04 $30.04

$7.32 ₡3,284

310.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$10.24 ₡4,594

22.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 $14.01

$14.10 ₡6,326

-0.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.29 ₡1,027

123.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.64 ₡737

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$4.79 ₡2,149

-11.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$1.64 ₡735

195.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.85 ₡1,727

-28.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.75 ₡1,681

-22.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.09 ₡488

91.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.59 ₡1,160

-12.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$5.12 ₡2,295

95.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.31 $15.31

$19.92 ₡8,931

-23.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.80 ₡1,255

-28.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.52 ₡1,580

-15.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.22 ₡549

82.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.17 ₡973

56.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.56 ₡698

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.11 $27.11

$8.67 ₡3,886

212.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.55 ₡697

-30.32%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-28.81%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-33.44%

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

$199 $199

$94.8 ₡42.5K

110.18%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$36.15 ₡16.2K

63.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$53.1 ₡23.8K

40.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.85 $41.85

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-43.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 $13.43

$7.91 ₡3,548

69.79%

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

$1,378 $1,378

$490 ₡219.9K

181.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

100.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-2.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 $40.48

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-27.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 $89.0

$80.4 ₡36.0K

10.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$77.9 ₡34.9K

36.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 $1,022

$801 ₡359.1K

27.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 $878

$790 ₡354.1K

11.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-47.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,138 $2,138

$1,409 ₡632.0K

51.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,287 $2,287

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-67.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,297 $2,297

$1,236 ₡554.3K

85.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,895 $5,895

$887 ₡397.6K

564.90%

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 Williston, ND: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Williston, ND

$878 40.1%

Nosara

$790 43% 10% $88

Groceries & Markets

Williston, ND

$431 19.7%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 19% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Williston, ND

$333 15.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 44.7% $149

Eating Out

Williston, ND

$328 15%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 35.1% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Williston, ND

$130 6%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 7.1% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Williston, ND

$69 3.1%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 30.4% $21

Getting Around

Williston, ND

$21 * 1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 316% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Williston, ND 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 565% higher in Williston, ND, 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 $75.0 in Williston, ND versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Williston, ND

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

01:33 1:33 AM

1 h behind Williston, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,000

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

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Between locations

Williston, ND Nosara 4,560 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Williston, ND
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

Williston, ND vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,190 in Williston, ND, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,285 per month in Williston, ND 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Williston, ND and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Williston, ND, 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 $1,835, than in Williston, ND at $2,190. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Williston, ND 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 $2,190 in Williston, ND. 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, Williston, ND makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.