Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charlottetown and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $1,957 in Charlottetown, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Charlottetown despite lower rent and utilities.

95

Cost of Living Index in Charlottetown
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Charlottetown Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Charlottetown

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,957

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,957 per month in Charlottetown vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Charlottetown $1,957
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,920 per month in Charlottetown vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Charlottetown $2,920
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,882 per month in Charlottetown vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Charlottetown $3,882
Nosara $3,712

Charlottetown costs about 7% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Charlottetown and Nosara sit above the global median – Charlottetown by 46%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.00 CA$19.95

$12.22 ₡5,509

14.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 CA$84.3

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-1.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 CA$13.16

$7.54 ₡3,399

22.41%

Cappuccino

$3.57 CA$5.08

$4.31 ₡1,941

-17.17%

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

$1.73 CA$2.46

$1.72 ₡773

0.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 CA$1.84

$1.35 ₡608

-4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.52 CA$7.87

$3.24 ₡1,459

70.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 CA$7.94

$4.48 ₡2,018

24.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$1.57 ₡707

42.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 CA$4.27

$3.17 ₡1,429

-5.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.85 CA$6.91

$2.42 ₡1,091

100.41%

Eggs

$3.90 CA$5.56

$3.57 ₡1,609

9.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 CA$16.16

$7.43 ₡3,349

52.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.86 CA$21.18

$10.42 ₡4,697

42.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.99 CA$24.22

$13.66 ₡6,156

24.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CA$5.02

$2.32 ₡1,044

51.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.07

$1.61 ₡728

-9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$4.74 ₡2,138

-17.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 CA$6.73

$1.66 ₡747

184.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 CA$2.45

$3.72 ₡1,679

-53.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.44

$3.57 ₡1,611

-12.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.81

$1.10 ₡497

142.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 CA$2.90

$2.55 ₡1,149

-20.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.45 CA$24.87

$4.95 ₡2,232

252.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 CA$19.52

$20.01 ₡9,020

-31.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.79 ₡1,256

16.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.41

$3.53 ₡1,589

-12.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 CA$2.03

$1.19 ₡537

19.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.18 CA$20.21

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-80.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 CA$10.39

$2.24 ₡1,011

225.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 CA$2.93

$1.55 ₡701

32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.61 CA$39.35

$8.86 ₡3,993

211.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.77

$1.57 ₡708

-21.02%

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

$27.6K CA$39.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

26.60%

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

$18.3K CA$26.1K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-47.05%

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

$124 CA$177

$93.5 ₡42.1K

32.76%

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

$32.57 CA$46.42

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-7.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 CA$104

$51.5 ₡23.2K

41.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 CA$81.1

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-20.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.55 CA$5.06

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-89.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 CA$15.07

$7.84 ₡3,535

34.82%

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

$157 CA$224

$490 ₡220.7K

-67.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.61 CA$56.5

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-26.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.73 CA$48.08

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-39.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 CA$118

$79.3 ₡35.7K

4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 CA$184

$78.9 ₡35.6K

64.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 CA$1,555

$786 ₡354.3K

38.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 CA$1,174

$780 ₡351.6K

5.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,747 CA$2,491

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-54.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 CA$1,936

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-3.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,107 CA$4,428

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-55.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,923 CA$2,741

$1,201 ₡541.3K

60.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,415 CA$3,442

$876 ₡395.0K

175.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

8.62

-46.87%

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

Last update for Charlottetown: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Charlottetown

$823 42.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 5.3% $44

Groceries & Markets

Charlottetown

$408 21.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 14.4% $59

Eating Out

Charlottetown

$233 12%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 10.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charlottetown

$230 11.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 21.6% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Charlottetown

$129 6.6%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 6.5% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Charlottetown

$78 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 11.6% $9

Getting Around

Charlottetown

$37 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 132% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,091 in Charlottetown 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 176% higher in Charlottetown, 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 $59.0 in Charlottetown versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $408 in Charlottetown vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Charlottetown

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

07:00 7:00 AM

3 h behind Charlottetown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,809

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 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 CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Charlottetown Nosara 4,560 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Charlottetown
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

Charlottetown vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charlottetown costs about 7% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,936 per month in Charlottetown 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,957 in Charlottetown and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 7%.

Public transport costs about 408% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Charlottetown at $1,957. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charlottetown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $1,957 in Charlottetown. 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, Charlottetown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.