Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Collie and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,531 in Collie, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Collie
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Collie Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Collie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,531

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,531 per month in Collie vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Collie $2,531
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,689 per month in Collie vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Collie $3,689
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,847 per month in Collie vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Collie $4,847
Nosara $3,818

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

Both Collie and Nosara sit above the global median – Collie by 87%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.00 A$28.78

$12.35 ₡5,539

61.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$61.2 ₡27.4K

38.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 A$15.25

$7.52 ₡3,373

40.82%

Cappuccino

$4.54 A$6.53

$4.41 ₡1,978

2.95%

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

$2.82 A$4.06

$1.74 ₡780

62.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 A$3.16

$1.31 ₡587

67.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.30

$3.28 ₡1,471

160.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.49 A$12.21

$4.47 ₡2,004

89.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 A$2.52

$1.56 ₡701

12.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 A$4.59

$3.02 ₡1,355

5.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 A$2.81

$2.51 ₡1,125

-22.31%

Eggs

$5.27 A$7.59

$3.57 ₡1,603

47.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 A$13.02

$7.43 ₡3,333

21.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 A$13.00

$10.52 ₡4,717

-14.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 A$20.20

$13.97 ₡6,265

0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.62

$2.35 ₡1,052

95.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.51

$1.61 ₡720

94.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 A$4.76

$4.80 ₡2,152

-31.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 A$7.07

$1.61 ₡724

204.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.20

$3.80 ₡1,703

-23.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 A$2.79

$3.69 ₡1,657

-47.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 A$3.34

$1.13 ₡507

105.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 A$1.99

$2.66 ₡1,191

-48.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.25 A$59.4

$5.18 ₡2,321

696.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.62 A$18.16

$19.88 ₡8,916

-36.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.40 A$6.33

$2.90 ₡1,300

51.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 A$4.92

$3.63 ₡1,626

-5.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 A$3.67

$1.12 ₡504

127.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.5 A$114

$72.6 ₡32.6K

9.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 A$5.20

$2.14 ₡958

69.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 A$1.98

$1.57 ₡703

-12.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.45 A$58.2

$8.52 ₡3,823

374.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$2.00

$1.52 ₡682

-8.55%

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

$27.7K A$39.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

28.12%

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

$29.8K A$42.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-13.79%

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

$192 A$276

$96.3 ₡43.2K

99.32%

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

$33.78 A$48.61

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-5.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 A$90.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

17.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 A$73.4

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-28.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 A$28.50

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-43.25%

Cinema Ticket

$17.68 A$25.44

$7.89 ₡3,539

124.08%

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

$2,293 A$3,300

$494 ₡221.6K

364.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K A$32.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

91.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 A$111

$53.9 ₡24.2K

43.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.8 A$94.6

$55.4 ₡24.8K

18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 A$180

$77.9 ₡34.9K

60.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 A$234

$79.6 ₡35.7K

104.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 A$2,015

$788 ₡353.4K

77.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 A$1,685

$794 ₡356.2K

47.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,124 A$3,057

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-46.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 A$2,565

$1,419 ₡636.5K

25.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,126 A$8,815

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-11.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,730 A$6,806

$1,224 ₡549.0K

286.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

8.62

-31.44%

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

Last update for Collie: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Collie

$1.2K 46.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 32.2% $377

Groceries & Markets

Collie

$365 14.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 3.5% $13

Eating Out

Collie

$326 12.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 35% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Collie

$289 11.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 35.7% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Collie

$194 7.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 38% $74

Getting Around

Collie

$100 4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 13% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Collie

$86 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1.2% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,400 in Collie 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 $85.0 in Collie versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Collie

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:42 11:42 PM

09:42 9:42 AM

14 h behind Collie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Collie Nosara 16,590 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Collie
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

Collie vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,531 in Collie, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,796 per month in Collie 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.

Kindergarten costs $2,293 per month in Collie and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Collie, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Collie at $2,531. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Collie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,531 in Collie. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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