Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barry and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,320 in Barry, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barry
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,320
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,320 per month in Barry vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Barry $2,320
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,444 per month in Barry vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Barry $3,444
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,567 per month in Barry vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Barry $4,567
  • Nosara $3,818

Barry costs about 26% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Barry and Nosara sit above the global median – Barry by 72%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barry
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.80 £15.60
$12.35 ₡5,539
68.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.1 £63.1
$61.2 ₡27.4K
37.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.78 £8.08
$7.52 ₡3,373
43.35%
Cappuccino
$4.48 £3.36
$4.41 ₡1,978
1.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 £1.96
$1.74 ₡780
50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 £1.48
$1.31 ₡587
50.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.59 £5.69
$3.28 ₡1,471
131.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.43 £4.83
$4.47 ₡2,004
43.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barry
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 £1.30
$1.56 ₡701
10.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 £1.29
$3.02 ₡1,355
-43.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 £1.66
$2.51 ₡1,125
-11.55%
Eggs
$4.39 £3.29
$3.57 ₡1,603
22.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.23 £6.18
$7.43 ₡3,333
10.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 £7.00
$10.52 ₡4,717
-11.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.15 £9.86
$13.97 ₡6,265
-5.87%
Apples (1kg)
$2.65 £1.99
$2.35 ₡1,052
12.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 £1.16
$1.61 ₡720
-4.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.03 £2.28
$4.80 ₡2,152
-36.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.56 £2.67
$1.61 ₡724
121.12%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 £1.49
$3.80 ₡1,703
-47.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.45 £1.08
$3.69 ₡1,657
-60.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 £0.82
$1.13 ₡507
-3.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 £1.25
$2.66 ₡1,191
-37.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.14 £17.36
$5.18 ₡2,321
346.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.69 £8.02
$19.88 ₡8,916
-46.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.98 £2.24
$2.90 ₡1,300
2.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.59 £2.69
$3.63 ₡1,626
-1.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Barry
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.36 £2.52
$1.12 ₡504
200.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.1 £72.8
$72.6 ₡32.6K
33.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.73 £3.55
$2.14 ₡958
121.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 £1.25
$1.57 ₡703
5.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.26 £19.70
$8.52 ₡3,823
208.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.56
$1.52 ₡682
36.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K £29.1K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
79.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.3K £31.0K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
19.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barry
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$315 £237
$96.3 ₡43.2K
227.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.89 £17.17
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-36.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.15 £29.37
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-26.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barry
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.99 £33.75
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-37.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.00 £4.50
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-82.81%
Cinema Ticket
$10.66 £8.00
$7.89 ₡3,539
35.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barry
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,962 £1,472
$494 ₡221.6K
297.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.7K £18.5K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
108.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barry
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 £75.6
$53.9 ₡24.2K
86.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.13 £36.11
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-13.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 £80.1
$77.9 ₡34.9K
37.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.0 £73.6
$79.6 ₡35.7K
23.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barry
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,203 £903
$788 ₡353.4K
52.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$971 £729
$794 ₡356.2K
22.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,134 £1,601
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-45.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,661 £1,246
$1,419 ₡636.5K
17.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,991 £3,744
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-27.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,857 £2,894
$1,224 ₡549.0K
215.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barry
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.87
8.62
-43.50%

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

Last update for Barry: 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
Barry
$971
Nosara
$794 18.2% $177
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barry
$377
Nosara
$186 50.8% $192
Eating Out
Barry
$322
Nosara
$212 34.1% $110
Groceries & Markets
Barry
$301
Nosara
$352 17.1% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Barry
$159
Nosara
$120 24.5% $39
Getting Around
Barry
$124
Nosara
$87 29.5% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Barry
$66
Nosara
$87 31.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,203 in Barry 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84.0 in Barry versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $301 in Barry vs $352 in Nosara – so Barry wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Barry
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
21:18 9:18 PM
14:18 2:18 PM
7 h behind Barry
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
54,673
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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
  • Barry Nosara 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barry
  • 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
Barry vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Barry?
Yes – Barry is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,480 per month in Barry and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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 kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,962 per month in Barry and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Barry and in Nosara?
Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Barry – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Barry or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Barry at $2,320. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barry it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Barry or Nosara more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Barry or Nosara?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barry makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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