Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Courtenay and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,133 in Courtenay, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Courtenay outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

103

Cost of Living Index in Courtenay
Learn more

Courtenay Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Courtenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,133

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,133 per month in Courtenay vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Courtenay $2,133
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,026 per month in Courtenay vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Courtenay $3,026
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,919 per month in Courtenay vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Courtenay $3,919
Nosara $3,818

Courtenay costs about 16% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Courtenay and Nosara sit above the global median – Courtenay by 58%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 CA$19.44

$12.35 ₡5,539

11.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 CA$80.0

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-7.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 CA$14.20

$7.52 ₡3,373

33.64%

Cappuccino

$3.46 CA$4.89

$4.41 ₡1,978

-21.54%

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

$2.02 CA$2.86

$1.74 ₡780

16.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.32

$1.31 ₡587

25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 CA$8.06

$3.28 ₡1,471

73.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 CA$8.43

$4.47 ₡2,004

33.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.56 ₡701

45.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$3.02 ₡1,355

-31.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 CA$2.89

$2.51 ₡1,125

-18.73%

Eggs

$3.21 CA$4.54

$3.57 ₡1,603

-10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 CA$13.94

$7.43 ₡3,333

32.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 CA$12.80

$10.52 ₡4,717

-13.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.19 CA$27.12

$13.97 ₡6,265

37.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$2.35 ₡1,052

34.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.87

$1.61 ₡720

-18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 CA$3.24

$4.80 ₡2,152

-52.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.26

$1.61 ₡724

87.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$3.80 ₡1,703

-33.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 CA$2.96

$3.69 ₡1,657

-43.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 CA$2.77

$1.13 ₡507

73.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.36

$2.66 ₡1,191

-37.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.19 CA$20.06

$5.18 ₡2,321

173.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 CA$14.78

$19.88 ₡8,916

-47.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.40

$2.90 ₡1,300

-17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$3.63 ₡1,626

-30.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CA$2.80

$1.12 ₡504

76.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.72 CA$60.4

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-41.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$2.14 ₡958

24.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 CA$1.96

$1.57 ₡703

-11.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.48 CA$24.72

$8.52 ₡3,823

105.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.83

$1.52 ₡682

-14.47%

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

$20.3K CA$28.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-6.11%

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

$17.9K CA$25.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-48.11%

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

$135 CA$190

$96.3 ₡43.2K

39.93%

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

$37.14 CA$52.5

$35.89 ₡16.1K

3.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 CA$90.0

$53.6 ₡24.0K

18.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 CA$58.7

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-41.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.86 CA$54.9

$34.91 ₡15.7K

11.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 CA$14.94

$7.89 ₡3,539

33.97%

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

$1,761 CA$2,490

$494 ₡221.6K

256.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-0.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 CA$78.9

$53.9 ₡24.2K

3.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.80 CA$61.9

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-20.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 CA$107

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-2.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 CA$83.8

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-25.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 CA$1,751

$788 ₡353.4K

57.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 CA$1,568

$794 ₡356.2K

39.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 CA$2,841

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-48.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 CA$2,293

$1,419 ₡636.5K

14.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,337 CA$7,545

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-22.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,170 CA$4,482

$864 ₡387.3K

267.12%

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 Courtenay: 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

Courtenay

$1.1K 52%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 28.4% $315

Groceries & Markets

Courtenay

$322 15.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 9.3% $30

Eating Out

Courtenay

$237 11.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 10.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Courtenay

$236 11.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 21.1% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Courtenay

$106 5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 13.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Courtenay

$63 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 39.4% $25

Getting Around

Courtenay

$60 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 44.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Courtenay 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 267% higher in Courtenay, 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 Courtenay versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $352 – making Courtenay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Courtenay

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:14 2:14 PM

15:14 3:14 PM

1 h ahead of Courtenay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,599

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

Courtenay Nosara 5,710 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Courtenay
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

Courtenay vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Courtenay is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,199 per month in Courtenay 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 9% cheaper in Courtenay – 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 Courtenay 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 Courtenay at $2,133. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Courtenay 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, Courtenay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.