Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between York, ME and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,691 in York, ME, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

York, ME
🇺🇸 United States
$2,691
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,691 per month in York, ME vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

  • York, ME $2,691
  • Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,822 per month in York, ME vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

  • York, ME $3,822
  • Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,953 per month in York, ME vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

  • York, ME $4,953
  • Nosara $3,814

York, ME costs about 47% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both York, ME and Nosara sit above the global median – York, ME by 99%, Nosara by 35%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
York, ME
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.11 $18.11
$12.34 ₡5,535
46.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.54 $49.54
$61.3 ₡27.5K
-19.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.58 $13.58
$7.76 ₡3,481
75.00%
Cappuccino
$5.40 $5.40
$4.44 ₡1,992
21.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 $2.96
$1.79 ₡803
65.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 $2.81
$1.29 ₡580
117.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.95 $4.95
$3.24 ₡1,451
52.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.96 $7.96
$4.43 ₡1,985
79.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
York, ME
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.55 ₡696
-32.90%
White Bread (500g)
$3.91 $3.91
$3.08 ₡1,380
26.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.46 $5.46
$2.53 ₡1,133
115.81%
Eggs
$1.73 $1.73
$3.45 ₡1,546
-49.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.25 $11.25
$7.32 ₡3,284
53.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.50 $14.50
$10.24 ₡4,594
41.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.87 $10.87
$14.10 ₡6,326
-22.91%
Apples (1kg)
$4.27 $4.27
$2.29 ₡1,027
86.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.64 ₡737
5.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.01 $4.01
$4.79 ₡2,149
-16.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.56 $5.56
$1.64 ₡735
239.02%
Potato (1kg)
$2.87 $2.87
$3.85 ₡1,727
-25.45%
Onion (1kg)
$3.93 $3.93
$3.75 ₡1,681
4.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.45 $2.45
$1.09 ₡488
124.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.59 ₡1,160
12.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.57 $8.57
$5.12 ₡2,295
67.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.44 $13.44
$19.92 ₡8,931
-32.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.07 $2.07
$2.80 ₡1,255
-26.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.28 $4.28
$3.52 ₡1,580
21.59%
🚌 Getting Around
York, ME
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.22 ₡549
45.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 $3.08
$2.17 ₡973
41.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 $1.60
$1.56 ₡698
2.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.47 $29.47
$8.67 ₡3,886
239.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.55 ₡697
-33.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K $19.4K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-43.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.7K $15.7K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-59.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
York, ME
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$315 $315
$94.8 ₡42.5K
232.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$105 $105
$36.15 ₡16.2K
191.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$86.3 $86.3
$53.1 ₡23.8K
62.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
York, ME
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.57 $45.57
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-38.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.68 $14.68
$7.91 ₡3,548
85.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
York, ME
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,801 $1,801
$490 ₡219.9K
267.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.7K $29.7K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
149.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
York, ME
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.8 $56.8
$54.8 ₡24.6K
3.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.97 $37.97
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-32.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.2 $80.2
$80.4 ₡36.0K
-0.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.2 $99.2
$77.9 ₡34.9K
27.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
York, ME
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 $1,700
$801 ₡359.1K
112.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,254 $1,254
$790 ₡354.1K
58.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,620 $2,620
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-34.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,100 $2,100
$1,409 ₡632.0K
49.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,768 $2,768
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-60.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,621 $2,621
$1,236 ₡554.3K
112.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
York, ME
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$887 ₡397.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.64
8.62
-22.97%

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

Last update for York, ME: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
York, ME
$1.3K
Nosara
$790 37% $465
Monthly Utilities & Internet
York, ME
$507
Nosara
$184 63.7% $323
Groceries & Markets
York, ME
$400
Nosara
$350 12.5% $50
Eating Out
York, ME
$314
Nosara
$213 32.3% $102
Clothing & Footwear
York, ME
$123
Nosara
$121 1.9% $2.3
Sport & Entertainment
York, ME
$75
Nosara
$90 19.6% $15
Getting Around
York, ME
$18 *
Nosara
$89 388% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,700 in York, ME 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in York, ME versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in York, ME vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 York, ME
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
10:45 10:45 AM
08:45 8:45 AM
2 h behind York, ME
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,800
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • York, ME Nosara 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • York, ME
  • 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
York, ME vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in York, ME and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,691 in York, ME, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 47% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.
What salary covers living expenses in York, ME compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,037 per month in York, ME and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between York, ME and Nosara?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in York, ME and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 14% more in York, ME, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in York, ME at $2,691. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in York, ME it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between York, ME and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,835 in Nosara to $2,691 in York, ME. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is York, ME or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between York, ME and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, York, ME makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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