Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Winston-Salem, NC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Winston-Salem, NC
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Winston-Salem, NC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Winston-Salem, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,384

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,384 per month in Winston-Salem, NC vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Winston-Salem, NC $2,384
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,790 per month in Winston-Salem, NC vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Winston-Salem, NC $3,790
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,195 per month in Winston-Salem, NC vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Winston-Salem, NC $5,195
Nosara $3,818

Winston-Salem, NC costs about 30% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Winston-Salem, NC and Nosara sit above the global median – Winston-Salem, NC by 77%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.56 $22.56

$12.35 ₡5,539

82.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

29.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 $10.10

$7.52 ₡3,373

34.31%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$4.41 ₡1,978

22.68%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.74 ₡780

68.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.31 ₡587

56.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.28 ₡1,471

53.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$4.47 ₡2,004

37.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.56 ₡701

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.02 ₡1,355

57.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$2.51 ₡1,125

281.27%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$3.57 ₡1,603

48.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.18 $18.18

$7.43 ₡3,333

144.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 $13.89

$10.52 ₡4,717

32.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.80 $26.80

$13.97 ₡6,265

91.84%

Apples (1kg)

$7.82 $7.82

$2.35 ₡1,052

232.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.61 ₡720

88.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.80 ₡2,152

40.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.46 $7.46

$1.61 ₡724

363.35%

Potato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.80 ₡1,703

29.21%

Onion (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$3.69 ₡1,657

68.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.13 ₡507

144.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.66 ₡1,191

28.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.76 $7.76

$5.18 ₡2,321

49.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$19.88 ₡8,916

-23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.90 ₡1,300

-44.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.63 ₡1,626

20.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.12 ₡504

83.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.85 $29.85

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-58.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.95 $6.95

$2.14 ₡958

224.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.57 ₡703

48.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.74 $14.74

$8.52 ₡3,823

73.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.52 ₡682

-38.16%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

62.68%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.37%

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

$174 $174

$96.3 ₡43.2K

80.24%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$35.89 ₡16.1K

42.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

18.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.72 $48.72

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-31.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.71 $15.71

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-55.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$7.89 ₡3,539

51.46%

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

$1,301 $1,301

$494 ₡221.6K

163.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-14.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.65 $39.65

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-26.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 $31.82

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-42.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$77.9 ₡34.9K

9.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 $94.0

$79.6 ₡35.7K

18.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 $1,448

$788 ₡353.4K

83.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$794 ₡356.2K

19.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 $2,639

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-33.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 $1,917

$1,419 ₡636.5K

35.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,350 $6,350

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-8.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,229 $3,229

$1,224 ₡549.0K

163.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,555 $3,555

$864 ₡387.3K

311.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

8.62

-22.51%

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

Last update for Winston-Salem, NC: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Winston-Salem, NC

$947 39.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 16.1% $153

Groceries & Markets

Winston-Salem, NC

$574 24.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 38.6% $222

Eating Out

Winston-Salem, NC

$333 14%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 36.4% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Winston-Salem, NC

$288 12.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 35.5% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Winston-Salem, NC

$113 4.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 6.4% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Winston-Salem, NC

$73 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 20.3% $15

Getting Around

Winston-Salem, NC

$57 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 53.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,448 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $788 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 312% higher in Winston-Salem, 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 Winston-Salem, NC versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $574 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, NC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

04:25 4:25 AM

2 h behind Winston-Salem, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,218

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Highest

Between locations

Winston-Salem, NC Nosara 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Winston-Salem, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,576 per month in Winston-Salem, NC and $2,758 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 143% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,301 per month in Winston-Salem, NC and $494 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 $1,839, than in Winston-Salem, NC at $2,384. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Winston-Salem, 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $2,384 in Winston-Salem, 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, Winston-Salem, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.