Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,529 in Cairns, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
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Cairns Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,529

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,529 per month in Cairns vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Cairns $2,529
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,731 per month in Cairns vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Cairns $3,731
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,933 per month in Cairns vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Cairns $4,933
Nosara $3,712

Cairns costs about 38% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cairns and Nosara sit above the global median – Cairns by 89%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 A$25.31

$12.22 ₡5,509

44.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.6 A$140

$60.2 ₡27.1K

62.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.79 A$18.30

$7.54 ₡3,399

69.63%

Cappuccino

$4.32 A$6.18

$4.31 ₡1,941

0.23%

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

$3.14 A$4.50

$1.72 ₡773

82.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.92

$1.35 ₡608

102.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 A$9.79

$3.24 ₡1,459

111.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.34 A$11.94

$4.48 ₡2,018

86.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 A$2.78

$1.57 ₡707

23.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 A$3.77

$3.17 ₡1,429

-17.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.68

$2.42 ₡1,091

6.20%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.71

$3.57 ₡1,609

50.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.17 A$13.12

$7.43 ₡3,349

23.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.48 A$19.29

$10.42 ₡4,697

29.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 A$21.83

$13.66 ₡6,156

11.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$5.97

$2.32 ₡1,044

79.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.93

$1.61 ₡728

70.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 A$5.06

$4.74 ₡2,138

-25.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 A$8.08

$1.66 ₡747

240.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.66

$3.72 ₡1,679

-31.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.70

$3.57 ₡1,611

-27.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 A$3.88

$1.10 ₡497

146.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 A$3.70

$2.55 ₡1,149

1.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.78 A$62.7

$4.95 ₡2,232

784.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$19.97

$20.01 ₡9,020

-30.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 A$5.08

$2.79 ₡1,256

27.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.46

$3.53 ₡1,589

47.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 A$5.10

$1.19 ₡537

199.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.43 A$22.08

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-78.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 A$3.79

$2.24 ₡1,011

18.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 A$2.81

$1.55 ₡701

26.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.21 A$60.4

$8.86 ₡3,993

376.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.83

$1.57 ₡708

-18.47%

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

$31.3K A$44.8K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

43.70%

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

$40.8K A$58.4K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

17.87%

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

$164 A$234

$93.5 ₡42.1K

75.13%

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

$34.95 A$50.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-0.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 A$93.0

$51.5 ₡23.2K

26.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.38 A$63.5

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-37.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.37 A$39.16

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-22.77%

Cinema Ticket

$13.97 A$20.00

$7.84 ₡3,535

78.19%

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

$2,069 A$2,961

$490 ₡220.7K

322.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K A$20.3K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

19.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 A$127

$53.5 ₡24.1K

66.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.7 A$103

$55.8 ₡25.1K

28.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$174

$79.3 ₡35.7K

53.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$185

$78.9 ₡35.6K

63.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 A$2,098

$786 ₡354.3K

86.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 A$1,751

$780 ₡351.6K

56.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,250 A$3,221

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-41.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,783

$1,407 ₡634.4K

38.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,629 A$9,487

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-4.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,015 A$7,177

$1,201 ₡541.3K

317.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,289 A$6,138

$876 ₡395.0K

389.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

8.62

-26.68%

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

Last update for Cairns: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 36.3% $443

Groceries & Markets

Cairns

$409 16.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 14.5% $59

Eating Out

Cairns

$306 12.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 31.6% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairns

$264 10.5%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 31.7% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Cairns

$185 7.4%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 35.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Cairns

$72 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 20.4% $15

Getting Around

Cairns

$42 1.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 106% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,466 in Cairns 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 389% higher in Cairns, 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 $98.0 in Cairns versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Cairns

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:15 3:15 PM

23:15 11:15 PM

16 h behind Cairns

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,181

4,912

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cairns Nosara 14,420 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairns
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

Cairns vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairns costs about 38% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,793 per month in Cairns 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 Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Cairns, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Cairns and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Cairns at $2,529. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $2,529 in Cairns. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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