Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilmington, NC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,773 in Wilmington, NC, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, NC
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Wilmington, NC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,773

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,773 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $2,773
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,103 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $4,103
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,433 per month in Wilmington, NC vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Wilmington, NC $5,433
Nosara $3,712

Wilmington, NC costs about 51% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Wilmington, NC and Nosara sit above the global median – Wilmington, NC by 107%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 $15.12

$12.22 ₡5,509

23.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$60.2 ₡27.1K

31.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$7.54 ₡3,399

48.54%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$4.31 ₡1,941

29.23%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.72 ₡773

51.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.35 ₡608

82.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.24 ₡1,459

50.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$4.48 ₡2,018

56.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.57 ₡707

-37.58%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.17 ₡1,429

27.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.42 ₡1,091

148.76%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$3.57 ₡1,609

43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.52 $11.52

$7.43 ₡3,349

55.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.78 $14.78

$10.42 ₡4,697

41.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.91 $24.91

$13.66 ₡6,156

82.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$2.32 ₡1,044

182.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.61 ₡728

11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.74 ₡2,138

46.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$1.66 ₡747

270.48%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.72 ₡1,679

9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.57 ₡1,611

70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.10 ₡497

110.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.55 ₡1,149

23.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.07 $8.07

$4.95 ₡2,232

63.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.60 $14.60

$20.01 ₡9,020

-27.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.79 ₡1,256

-26.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.53 ₡1,589

68.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.19 ₡537

115.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.4 $80.4

$72.1 ₡32.5K

11.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.04 $7.04

$2.24 ₡1,011

214.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.55 ₡701

17.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.57 ₡708

-36.31%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

65.73%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-26.37%

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

$283 $283

$93.5 ₡42.1K

202.89%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$35.11 ₡15.8K

60.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$51.5 ₡23.2K

44.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 $68.3

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-4.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.89 $3.89

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-89.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$7.84 ₡3,535

88.65%

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

$1,295 $1,295

$490 ₡220.7K

164.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$53.5 ₡24.1K

30.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.04 $42.04

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-24.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$79.3 ₡35.7K

27.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 $71.0

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-10.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 $1,553

$786 ₡354.3K

97.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 $1,255

$780 ₡351.6K

60.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,303 $2,303

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-40.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 $2,056

$1,407 ₡634.4K

46.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,811 $2,811

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-59.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 $2,688

$1,201 ₡541.3K

123.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,942 $3,942

$876 ₡395.0K

349.87%

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 Wilmington, NC: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilmington, NC

$1.3K 45.1%

Nosara

$780 43% 37.9% $475

Groceries & Markets

Wilmington, NC

$503 18.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 30.4% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilmington, NC

$414 14.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 56.5% $234

Eating Out

Wilmington, NC

$280 10.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 25.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Wilmington, NC

$128 4.6%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 5.9% $7.5

Getting Around

Wilmington, NC

$107 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 18.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Wilmington, NC

$98 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 11% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,553 in Wilmington, NC 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 350% higher in Wilmington, NC, 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 $79.0 in Wilmington, NC versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $503 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:14 10:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

2 h behind Wilmington, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,826

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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wilmington, NC Nosara 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Wilmington, NC
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

Wilmington, NC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,773 in Wilmington, NC, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 51% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,159 per month in Wilmington, NC 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 12% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,295 per month in Wilmington, NC 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 Wilmington, NC at $2,773. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wilmington, NC 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 $2,773 in Wilmington, NC. 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, Wilmington, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.