Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bathurst and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Bathurst: $1,735 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Bathurst
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Bathurst Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Bathurst

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,735

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,735 per month in Bathurst vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Bathurst $1,735
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,012 per month in Bathurst vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Bathurst $2,012
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,289 per month in Bathurst vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Bathurst $2,289
Nosara $3,818

Bathurst is about 6% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bathurst and Nosara sit above the global median – Bathurst by 29%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.04 CA$22.81

$12.35 ₡5,547

29.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.48 CA$59.0

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-32.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.34 CA$16.12

$7.52 ₡3,377

50.80%

Cappuccino

$3.36 CA$4.78

$4.41 ₡1,981

-23.81%

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

$1.90 CA$2.70

$1.74 ₡781

9.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$1.31 ₡588

19.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 CA$7.14

$3.28 ₡1,473

53.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CA$7.14

$4.47 ₡2,007

12.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 CA$2.50

$1.56 ₡702

12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 CA$3.69

$3.02 ₡1,357

-14.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.52

$2.51 ₡1,127

-1.59%

Eggs

$3.57 CA$5.08

$3.57 ₡1,605

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 CA$15.44

$7.43 ₡3,338

46.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 CA$13.10

$10.52 ₡4,724

-12.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.33 CA$9.00

$13.97 ₡6,274

-54.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 CA$6.20

$2.35 ₡1,054

85.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.61 ₡721

-1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.57 CA$6.50

$4.80 ₡2,155

-4.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 CA$2.67

$1.61 ₡725

16.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.59

$3.80 ₡1,706

-33.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 CA$2.11

$3.69 ₡1,659

-59.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 CA$2.98

$1.13 ₡507

85.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.30

$2.66 ₡1,193

-39.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.68 CA$13.77

$5.18 ₡2,324

86.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 CA$17.10

$19.88 ₡8,929

-39.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 CA$4.45

$2.90 ₡1,302

7.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 CA$6.24

$3.63 ₡1,628

20.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 CA$4.88

$1.12 ₡505

206.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.8 CA$87.9

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-14.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 CA$4.08

$2.14 ₡959

34.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.92

$1.57 ₡704

-14.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.81 CA$29.58

$8.52 ₡3,828

144.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.70

$1.52 ₡683

-21.05%

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

$28.2K CA$40.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

30.48%

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

$18.8K CA$26.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-45.65%

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

$101 CA$143

$96.3 ₡43.2K

4.66%

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

$68.9 CA$97.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

91.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 CA$85.4

$53.6 ₡24.1K

12.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.21 CA$62.9

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-38.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.92 CA$45.39

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-8.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.03 CA$12.84

$7.89 ₡3,544

14.45%

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

$565 CA$803

$494 ₡221.9K

14.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,662 CA$2,363

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-85.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.48 CA$68.9

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-10.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 CA$55.8

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-29.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 CA$108

$77.9 ₡35.0K

-2.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 CA$113

$79.6 ₡35.8K

-0.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 CA$1,030

$788 ₡353.9K

-8.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 CA$976

$794 ₡356.7K

-13.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,998 CA$2,841

$864 ₡387.8K

131.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

8.62

-44.66%

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

Last update for Bathurst: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bathurst

$686 39.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 15.8% $108

Groceries & Markets

Bathurst

$311 17.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 13.2% $41

Eating Out

Bathurst

$252 14.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 15.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bathurst

$230 13.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 19.1% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Bathurst

$109 6.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 10% $11

Getting Around

Bathurst

$85 4.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 2.3% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Bathurst

$62 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 40.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $724 in Bathurst 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 131% higher in Bathurst, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Bathurst versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $352 – making Bathurst the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Bathurst

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

14:24 2:24 PM

3 h behind Bathurst

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,157

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bathurst Nosara 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bathurst
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

Bathurst vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,603 per month in Bathurst 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 Bathurst, 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 $1,735 in Bathurst and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 6%.

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

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bathurst, where all-in costs run around $1,735, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Bathurst it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bathurst – 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 Bathurst. 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.