Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajax, ON and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,482 in Ajax, ON, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Ajax, ON
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Ajax, ON Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ajax, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,482

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,482 per month in Ajax, ON vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Ajax, ON $2,482
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,526 per month in Ajax, ON vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Ajax, ON $3,526
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,571 per month in Ajax, ON vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Ajax, ON $4,571
Nosara $3,818

Ajax, ON costs about 35% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ajax, ON and Nosara sit above the global median – Ajax, ON by 84%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 CA$25.18

$12.35 ₡5,539

44.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 CA$75.0

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-13.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 CA$14.73

$7.52 ₡3,373

38.56%

Cappuccino

$3.49 CA$4.94

$4.41 ₡1,978

-20.86%

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

$1.73 CA$2.45

$1.74 ₡780

-0.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.13

$1.31 ₡587

14.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$3.28 ₡1,471

5.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 CA$7.68

$4.47 ₡2,004

21.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 CA$2.75

$1.56 ₡701

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 CA$3.97

$3.02 ₡1,355

-7.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.70

$2.51 ₡1,125

32.67%

Eggs

$3.01 CA$4.26

$3.57 ₡1,603

-15.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.91 CA$12.60

$7.43 ₡3,333

19.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.89

$10.52 ₡4,717

6.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 CA$23.79

$13.97 ₡6,265

20.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.64

$2.35 ₡1,052

69.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CA$2.30

$1.61 ₡720

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.79

$4.80 ₡2,152

-14.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.63

$1.61 ₡724

103.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.14

$3.80 ₡1,703

-22.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.73

$3.69 ₡1,657

-47.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 CA$4.20

$1.13 ₡507

162.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.67

$2.66 ₡1,191

-28.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.08 CA$19.90

$5.18 ₡2,321

171.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 CA$17.78

$19.88 ₡8,916

-36.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.82

$2.90 ₡1,300

-31.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$3.63 ₡1,626

-27.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.32

$1.12 ₡504

109.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 CA$121

$72.6 ₡32.6K

17.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.63

$2.14 ₡958

52.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.92 CA$35.23

$8.52 ₡3,823

192.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.57

$1.52 ₡682

-26.97%

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

$27.2K CA$38.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

26.00%

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

$18.6K CA$26.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-46.23%

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

$126 CA$178

$96.3 ₡43.2K

30.80%

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

$26.46 CA$37.41

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-26.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 CA$80.6

$53.6 ₡24.0K

6.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.60 CA$47.50

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-53.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.32 CA$14.59

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-70.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 CA$14.05

$7.89 ₡3,539

25.98%

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

$885 CA$1,251

$494 ₡221.6K

79.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K CA$24.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

48.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.32 CA$69.7

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-8.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 CA$53.3

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-32.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 CA$118

$77.9 ₡34.9K

6.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$148

$79.6 ₡35.7K

31.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 CA$2,152

$788 ₡353.4K

93.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 CA$1,956

$794 ₡356.2K

74.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 CA$3,173

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,134 CA$3,017

$1,419 ₡636.5K

50.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,935 CA$4,149

$864 ₡387.3K

239.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

8.62

-44.32%

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

Last update for Ajax, ON: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ajax, ON

$1.4K 55.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 42.6% $590

Groceries & Markets

Ajax, ON

$356 14.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 1.1% $4.1

Eating Out

Ajax, ON

$257 10.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 17.5% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ajax, ON

$209 8.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 11.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Ajax, ON

$124 5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 2.9% $3.6

Getting Around

Ajax, ON

$98 * 4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 11.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ajax, ON

$53 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 63.4% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,522 in Ajax, ON 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 240% higher in Ajax, ON, 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 $53.0 in Ajax, ON versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $356 in Ajax, ON vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Ajax, ON

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:48 5:48 PM

15:48 3:48 PM

2 h behind Ajax, ON

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,677

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ajax, ON Nosara 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ajax, ON
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

Ajax, ON vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ajax, ON is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,723 per month in Ajax, ON 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,482 in Ajax, ON and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 35%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Ajax, ON at $2,482. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ajax, ON it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Ajax, ON makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.