Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caboolture and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Caboolture and in Nosara: $1,922 and $1,839 a month, rent and utilities included.

Caboolture
🇦🇺 Australia
$1,922
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Caboolture vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Caboolture $1,922
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,793 per month in Caboolture vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Caboolture $2,793
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,665 per month in Caboolture vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Caboolture $3,665
  • Nosara $3,818

Caboolture costs about 5% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Caboolture and Nosara sit above the global median – Caboolture by 42%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Caboolture
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.68 A$15.35
$12.35 ₡5,556
-13.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.40 A$69.6
$61.2 ₡27.5K
-20.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.46 A$15.03
$7.52 ₡3,383
39.10%
Cappuccino
$2.83 A$4.06
$4.41 ₡1,984
-35.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 A$2.53
$1.74 ₡782
1.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 A$2.22
$1.31 ₡589
17.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.94 A$9.97
$3.28 ₡1,475
111.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.53 A$10.82
$4.47 ₡2,010
68.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Caboolture
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 A$1.72
$1.56 ₡703
-23.72%
White Bread (500g)
$2.14 A$3.08
$3.02 ₡1,359
-29.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 A$2.82
$2.51 ₡1,129
-21.91%
Eggs
$4.16 A$5.97
$3.57 ₡1,608
16.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.60 A$12.36
$7.43 ₡3,344
15.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 A$13.30
$10.52 ₡4,732
-12.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.24 A$17.60
$13.97 ₡6,284
-12.38%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 A$4.45
$2.35 ₡1,055
31.49%
Banana (1kg)
$2.58 A$3.71
$1.61 ₡722
60.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.42 A$4.91
$4.80 ₡2,159
-28.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.18 A$6.01
$1.61 ₡726
159.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.91 A$2.75
$3.80 ₡1,708
-49.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 A$2.75
$3.69 ₡1,662
-48.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.08 A$2.98
$1.13 ₡508
84.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 A$1.29
$2.66 ₡1,195
-66.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$29.24 A$42.02
$5.18 ₡2,328
464.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.88 A$19.95
$19.88 ₡8,944
-30.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.00 A$5.75
$2.90 ₡1,304
37.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.77 A$9.73
$3.63 ₡1,631
86.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Caboolture
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.55 A$2.23
$1.12 ₡506
38.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$80.6 A$116
$72.6 ₡32.7K
10.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.17 A$3.12
$2.14 ₡961
1.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 A$1.61
$1.57 ₡706
-28.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.69 A$48.41
$8.52 ₡3,835
295.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 A$1.96
$1.52 ₡684
-9.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.0K A$34.4K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
10.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K A$35.8K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-27.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caboolture
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$174 A$250
$96.3 ₡43.3K
80.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.90 A$17.10
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-66.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.22 A$70.7
$53.6 ₡24.1K
-8.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Caboolture
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.38 A$32.16
$71.6 ₡32.2K
-68.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.39 A$25.00
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-50.19%
Cinema Ticket
$14.03 A$20.17
$7.89 ₡3,550
77.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Caboolture
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,724 A$2,477
$494 ₡222.3K
248.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,154 A$5,969
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-64.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Caboolture
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.45 A$48.07
$53.9 ₡24.3K
-37.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.7 A$74.4
$55.4 ₡24.9K
-6.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 A$141
$77.9 ₡35.1K
26.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.1 A$105
$79.6 ₡35.8K
-8.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Caboolture
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,074 A$1,543
$788 ₡354.5K
36.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$890 A$1,279
$794 ₡357.3K
12.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,515 A$2,177
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-61.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,461 A$2,099
$1,419 ₡638.4K
2.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,269 A$7,572
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-23.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,593 A$8,038
$1,224 ₡550.7K
356.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Caboolture
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,802 A$2,589
$864 ₡388.5K
108.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.69
8.62
-33.99%

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

Last update for Caboolture: 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
Caboolture
$890
Nosara
$794 10.7% $96
Groceries & Markets
Caboolture
$322
Nosara
$352 9.4% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caboolture
$235
Nosara
$186 21.1% $50
Eating Out
Caboolture
$214
Nosara
$212 0.9% $1.9
Clothing & Footwear
Caboolture
$116
Nosara
$120 3.9% $4.6
Getting Around
Caboolture
$95
Nosara
$87 7.9% $7.5
Sport & Entertainment
Caboolture
$50
Nosara
$87 73.2% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,074 in Caboolture 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 109% higher in Caboolture, 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 $48.00 in Caboolture versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $352 – making Caboolture the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Caboolture
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
04:07 4:07 AM
12:07 12:07 PM
16 h behind Caboolture
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
29,534
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Caboolture Nosara 13,610 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Caboolture
  • 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
Caboolture vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Caboolture or Nosara?
Caboolture costs about 5% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Caboolture and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,882 per month in Caboolture and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Caboolture or Nosara?
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.
How do childcare costs compare in Caboolture and in Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $1,724 per month in Caboolture and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Caboolture or in Nosara?
Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Caboolture – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Caboolture or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Caboolture at $1,922. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caboolture it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Caboolture or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $1,922 in Caboolture. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Caboolture compared to 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.
Should I move to Caboolture or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Caboolture makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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