Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Coquitlam and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,784 in Coquitlam, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Coquitlam
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Coquitlam Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Coquitlam

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,784

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,784 in Coquitlam versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Coquitlam $2,784
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,921 in Coquitlam versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Coquitlam $3,921
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,058 in Coquitlam versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Coquitlam $5,058
Nosara $3,818

Living in Coquitlam is roughly 51% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Coquitlam 106% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.08 CA$22.74

$12.35 ₡5,539

30.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 CA$97.9

$61.2 ₡27.4K

13.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 CA$14.78

$7.52 ₡3,373

39.10%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.34

$4.41 ₡1,978

-14.51%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$1.74 ₡780

22.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.27

$1.31 ₡587

22.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 CA$8.02

$3.28 ₡1,471

72.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 CA$8.64

$4.47 ₡2,004

36.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.56 ₡701

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 CA$3.56

$3.02 ₡1,355

-16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.80

$2.51 ₡1,125

7.17%

Eggs

$3.88 CA$5.48

$3.57 ₡1,603

8.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 CA$13.56

$7.43 ₡3,333

29.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.46 CA$19.02

$10.52 ₡4,717

27.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.57 CA$27.66

$13.97 ₡6,265

40.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.57

$2.35 ₡1,052

67.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.61 ₡720

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.59

$4.80 ₡2,152

-17.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.76

$1.61 ₡724

152.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$3.80 ₡1,703

-58.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.89

$3.69 ₡1,657

-25.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$1.13 ₡507

122.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 CA$1.47

$2.66 ₡1,191

-60.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.62 CA$22.09

$5.18 ₡2,321

201.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.70 CA$16.54

$19.88 ₡8,916

-41.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$2.90 ₡1,300

-9.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 CA$4.07

$3.63 ₡1,626

-20.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.12 ₡504

98.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 CA$105

$72.6 ₡32.6K

2.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$2.14 ₡958

25.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.57 ₡703

-12.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.47 CA$34.59

$8.52 ₡3,823

187.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.52 ₡682

-11.84%

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

$25.6K CA$36.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

18.67%

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

$18.6K CA$26.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-46.20%

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

$81.0 CA$114

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-15.90%

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

$35.50 CA$50.2

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-1.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 CA$74.2

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-2.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.62 CA$29.14

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-71.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-69.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 CA$14.57

$7.89 ₡3,539

30.67%

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

$1,091 CA$1,542

$494 ₡221.6K

120.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K CA$16.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-3.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 CA$80.9

$53.9 ₡24.2K

6.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.93 CA$46.55

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-40.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 CA$134

$77.9 ₡34.9K

21.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 CA$135

$79.6 ₡35.7K

20.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 CA$2,745

$788 ₡353.4K

146.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 CA$2,452

$794 ₡356.2K

118.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,462 CA$4,894

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-12.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,582 CA$3,651

$1,419 ₡636.5K

81.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,099 CA$8,623

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-11.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,977 CA$7,036

$1,224 ₡549.0K

306.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,953 CA$4,175

$864 ₡387.3K

242.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

8.62

-50.35%

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

Last update for Coquitlam: 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

Coquitlam

$1.7K 62.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 54.2% $940

Groceries & Markets

Coquitlam

$360 12.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 2.1% $7.6

Eating Out

Coquitlam

$261 9.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 18.8% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Coquitlam

$169 6.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 10% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Coquitlam

$126 4.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 4.9% $6.2

Getting Around

Coquitlam

$93 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 6.1% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Coquitlam

$41 1.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 112% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,941 in Coquitlam and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coquitlam pays 242% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Coquitlam vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Coquitlam

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

13:50 1:50 PM

1 h ahead of Coquitlam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,625

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Coquitlam Nosara 5,550 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Coquitlam
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

Coquitlam vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 242% higher in Coquitlam, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,941 in Coquitlam versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,784 per month in Coquitlam versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 2% less than in Coquitlam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,784 in Coquitlam, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Coquitlam. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Coquitlam, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Coquitlam and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Coquitlam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.