New York City vs Santa Teresa
💰
Santa Teresa saves you $1,200/month
📶
New York City has 6x faster internet
🌡️
Continental vs Tropical Wet climate
🛂
Costa Rica offers a digital nomad visa
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
New York City
Santa Teresa
Total Budget
$4,200/mo
$3,000/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$4,000/mo
$1,200/mo ✓
Coworking
$380/mo
$170/mo ✓
Meal Out
$20
$10 ✓
Coffee
$5
$5
Santa Teresa is $1,200/mo cheaper (40% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇺🇸 New York City
📶 Internet300 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-5
🗣️ Englishhigh
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London6h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🇨🇷 Santa Teresa
📶 Internet50-100 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-6
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London5h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
New York City
ClimateContinental
Avg Temp13°C
Rainy Days118/year
Best months: June, August, September, May
Santa Teresa
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp26°C
Rainy Days265/year
Best months: February, January, March
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
1°26°
Apr
12°27°
Jul
26°26°
Oct
14°25°
New York CitySanta Teresa
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇺🇸New York City
🇨🇷Santa Teresa
💰
Monthly Budget
$4,200
$3,000
Winner📶
Internet Speed
300 Mbps
Winner50 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
3.6/5
3.8/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.4/10
Winner4/10
🍽️
Food Scene
10/10
Winner8/10
🎉
Nightlife
10/10
Winner7/10
🚶
Walkability
9/10
Winner4/10
👥
Community
large
Winnermedium
6
New York City wins
vs
1
Santa Teresa wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Santa Teresa
$1200/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
New York City
300 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
New York City
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
Either works
Both cities are similarly safe
🍜Foodie
New York City
Better food scene with incredible variety
🎉Party Person
New York City
World-famous nightlife scene
🇺🇸New York City
Pros
- +One of the world's biggest hubs for tech, media, finance and the creative industries with endless networking opportunities
- +Insane cultural density: museums, galleries, concerts, theatre, comedy and events every single day
- +Fast, reliable internet and plenty of high-end coworking spaces across Manhattan and Brooklyn
- +Truly walkable core with a 24/7 subway system and good bus coverage
Cons
- −Extremely high cost of living and rent – one of the most expensive cities on the planet for long stays
- −Small apartments, high competition for housing and often long commutes from more affordable areas
- −Hot, humid summers and cold winters with heatwaves and snowstorms possible
- −Can feel intense, crowded and noisy; not ideal if you want a slow or quiet base
🇨🇷Santa Teresa
Pros
- +World-class surf breaks and consistent waves
- +Stunning sunsets and pristine beaches
- +Thriving yoga and wellness community
- +Growing digital nomad scene with coworking spaces
Cons
- −Very expensive compared to rest of Costa Rica
- −Frequent power outages especially in rainy season
- −Remote location - 5 hours from San Jose
- −Need ATV or rental car to get around