Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charlotte Amalie and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,340 in Charlotte Amalie, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Charlotte Amalie

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,340

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,340 per month in Charlotte Amalie vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Charlotte Amalie $2,340
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,152 per month in Charlotte Amalie vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Charlotte Amalie $4,152
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,964 per month in Charlotte Amalie vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Charlotte Amalie $5,964
Nosara $3,818

Charlotte Amalie costs about 27% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Charlotte Amalie and Nosara sit above the global median – Charlotte Amalie by 73%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.03 $25.03

$12.35 ₡5,539

102.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$61.2 ₡27.4K

99.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.92 $12.92

$7.52 ₡3,373

71.81%

Cappuccino

$7.37 $7.37

$4.41 ₡1,978

67.12%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$1.74 ₡780

69.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.31 ₡587

94.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 $5.66

$3.28 ₡1,471

72.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$4.47 ₡2,004

59.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.56 ₡701

74.36%

White Bread (500g)

$8.91 $8.91

$3.02 ₡1,355

195.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$7.19 $7.19

$3.57 ₡1,603

101.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.91 $4.91

$5.18 ₡2,321

-5.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.12 $20.12

$19.88 ₡8,916

1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$3.63 ₡1,626

98.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.09 $6.09

$1.12 ₡504

443.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.69 $19.69

$2.14 ₡958

820.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.52 ₡682

-15.13%

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

$45.6K $45.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

111.14%

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

$48.6K $48.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

40.74%

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

$292 $292

$96.3 ₡43.2K

203.14%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

64.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.9 $98.9

$53.6 ₡24.0K

84.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$197 $197

$71.6 ₡32.1K

175.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$7.89 ₡3,539

53.61%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 $88.6

$77.9 ₡34.9K

13.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 $1,225

$788 ₡353.4K

55.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 $993

$794 ₡356.2K

25.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,538 $3,538

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-10.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,975 $2,975

$1,419 ₡636.5K

109.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Charlotte Amalie: 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

Charlotte Amalie

–

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Groceries & Markets

Charlotte Amalie

–

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Eating Out

Charlotte Amalie

–

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charlotte Amalie

–

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Charlotte Amalie

–

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Charlotte Amalie

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Charlotte Amalie

–

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,225 in Charlotte Amalie 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 $122 in Charlotte Amalie versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Charlotte Amalie vs $352 in Nosara – so Charlotte Amalie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Charlotte Amalie

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:21 6:21 PM

16:21 4:21 PM

2 h behind Charlotte Amalie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,477 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Charlotte Amalie Nosara 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Charlotte Amalie
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

Charlotte Amalie vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Charlotte Amalie is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,510 per month in Charlotte Amalie 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 Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 76% cheaper in Charlotte Amalie – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Charlotte Amalie and $61.0 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 $1,839, than in Charlotte Amalie at $2,340. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charlotte Amalie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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