Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Comox, BC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,381 in Comox, BC, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Comox, BC
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Comox, BC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Comox, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,381

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,381 per month in Comox, BC vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Comox, BC $2,381
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,415 per month in Comox, BC vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Comox, BC $3,415
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,448 per month in Comox, BC vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Comox, BC $4,448
Nosara $3,818

Comox, BC costs about 29% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Comox, BC and Nosara sit above the global median – Comox, BC by 76%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.78 CA$25.28

$12.35 ₡5,547

43.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 CA$80.7

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-7.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 CA$14.56

$7.52 ₡3,377

36.17%

Cappuccino

$3.64 CA$5.18

$4.41 ₡1,981

-17.46%

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

$2.07 CA$2.95

$1.74 ₡781

18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.22

$1.31 ₡588

19.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 CA$7.89

$3.28 ₡1,473

69.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 CA$8.34

$4.47 ₡2,007

31.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.42

$1.56 ₡702

53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 CA$2.88

$3.02 ₡1,357

-32.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 CA$5.10

$2.51 ₡1,127

43.03%

Eggs

$3.22 CA$4.58

$3.57 ₡1,605

-9.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 CA$12.19

$7.43 ₡3,338

15.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 CA$11.86

$10.52 ₡4,724

-20.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.72 CA$25.20

$13.97 ₡6,274

26.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.56

$2.35 ₡1,054

36.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.80

$1.61 ₡721

-21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$4.80 ₡2,155

-39.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 CA$4.37

$1.61 ₡725

91.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 CA$3.55

$3.80 ₡1,706

-34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CA$2.95

$3.69 ₡1,659

-43.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 CA$2.79

$1.13 ₡507

74.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.44

$2.66 ₡1,193

-35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 CA$19.75

$5.18 ₡2,324

168.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 CA$20.15

$19.88 ₡8,929

-28.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.59

$2.90 ₡1,302

-13.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.39

$3.63 ₡1,628

-14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.47 CA$4.93

$1.12 ₡505

209.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.84 CA$56.7

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-45.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 CA$3.81

$2.14 ₡959

25.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.12

$1.57 ₡704

-5.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.73 CA$38.01

$8.52 ₡3,828

213.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.89

$1.52 ₡683

-12.50%

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

$27.6K CA$39.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

27.60%

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

$18.6K CA$26.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-46.14%

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

$182 CA$258

$96.3 ₡43.2K

88.56%

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

$37.28 CA$53.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

3.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.3 CA$90.0

$53.6 ₡24.1K

18.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 CA$81.7

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-19.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.85 CA$39.60

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-20.22%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 CA$17.72

$7.89 ₡3,544

57.92%

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

$1,384 CA$1,968

$494 ₡221.9K

180.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-1.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 CA$76.8

$53.9 ₡24.2K

0.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 CA$87.1

$55.4 ₡24.9K

10.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 CA$136

$77.9 ₡35.0K

23.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.9 CA$125

$79.6 ₡35.8K

10.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 CA$1,896

$788 ₡353.9K

69.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 CA$1,731

$794 ₡356.7K

53.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 CA$2,881

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-48.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,919 CA$2,728

$1,419 ₡637.4K

35.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,247 CA$4,617

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-53.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,145 CA$4,471

$1,224 ₡549.8K

156.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,013 CA$4,283

$864 ₡387.8K

248.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

8.62

-43.50%

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

Last update for Comox, BC: 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

Comox, BC

$1.2K 51.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 34.8% $423

Groceries & Markets

Comox, BC

$330 13.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 6.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Comox, BC

$282 11.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 34.2% $96

Eating Out

Comox, BC

$271 11.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 21.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Comox, BC

$135 5.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 10.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Comox, BC

$82 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 6.1% $5

Getting Around

Comox, BC

$64 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 36.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,333 in Comox, BC 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 249% higher in Comox, BC, 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 $57.0 in Comox, BC versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $352 – making Comox, BC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Comox, BC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:47 3:47 PM

16:47 4:47 PM

1 h ahead of Comox, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,028

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Comox, BC Nosara 5,700 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Comox, BC
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

Comox, BC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Comox, BC is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,572 per month in Comox, BC 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 7% cheaper in Comox, BC – 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 $57.0 in Comox, BC 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 Comox, BC at $2,381. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Comox, BC 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, Comox, BC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.