Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Basseterre and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Basseterre: $1,451 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Basseterre

🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis

$1,451

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,451 per month in Basseterre vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Basseterre $1,451
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,560 per month in Basseterre vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Basseterre $1,560
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,668 per month in Basseterre vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Basseterre $1,668
Nosara $3,712

Basseterre is about 21% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Basseterre and Nosara sit above the global median – Basseterre by 8%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.56 EC$50.1

$12.22 ₡5,509

51.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 EC$37.86

$7.54 ₡3,399

85.94%

Cappuccino

$3.81 EC$10.28

$4.31 ₡1,941

-11.60%

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

$2.10 EC$5.66

$1.72 ₡773

22.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 EC$6.01

$1.35 ₡608

65.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 EC$5.38

$3.24 ₡1,459

-38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 EC$9.80

$4.48 ₡2,018

-18.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 EC$6.78

$1.57 ₡707

59.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 EC$9.73

$3.17 ₡1,429

13.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 EC$9.87

$2.42 ₡1,091

50.83%

Eggs

$5.58 EC$15.07

$3.57 ₡1,609

56.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 EC$24.24

$10.42 ₡4,697

-13.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 EC$12.10

$2.32 ₡1,044

93.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 EC$8.39

$1.61 ₡728

93.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 EC$10.12

$1.66 ₡747

125.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 EC$6.09

$3.72 ₡1,679

-39.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 EC$4.92

$3.57 ₡1,611

-49.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 EC$1.75

$2.55 ₡1,149

-74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 EC$4.96

$2.79 ₡1,256

-34.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 EC$9.74

$3.53 ₡1,589

2.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 EC$6.05

$1.19 ₡537

88.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.70 EC$55.9

$2.24 ₡1,011

824.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$87.8 EC$237

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-6.00%

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

$39.25 EC$106

$35.11 ₡15.8K

11.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.75 EC$99.2

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-48.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 EC$16.68

$7.84 ₡3,535

-21.17%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 EC$238

$53.5 ₡24.1K

64.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 EC$354

$79.3 ₡35.7K

65.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$702 EC$1,897

$786 ₡354.3K

-10.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 EC$1,764

$780 ₡351.6K

-16.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,927 EC$13.3K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-29.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,925 EC$10.6K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

226.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 EC$3,011

$876 ₡395.0K

27.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-53.60%

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

Last update for Basseterre: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Basseterre

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Basseterre

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Basseterre

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Basseterre

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Basseterre

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Basseterre

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Basseterre

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $702 in Basseterre versus $786 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 27% higher in Basseterre, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

Good to know

🇰🇳 Basseterre

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

04:27 4:27 AM

2 h behind Basseterre

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,220 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Basseterre Nosara 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Basseterre
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

Basseterre vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,451 in Basseterre, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,177 per month in Basseterre and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Basseterre, 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 $1,451 in Basseterre and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 27%.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Basseterre, where all-in costs run around $1,451, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Basseterre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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 $1,451 in Basseterre to $1,837 in Nosara. 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 Basseterre. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.