Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Crooked Island and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,241 in Crooked Island, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. The total is higher in Crooked Island despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Crooked Island

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,241

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,241 in Crooked Island versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Crooked Island $2,241
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,565 in Crooked Island versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Crooked Island $3,565
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,888 in Crooked Island versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Crooked Island $4,888
Nosara $3,712

Living in Crooked Island is roughly 22% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Crooked Island 67% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$49.87 BSD 49.87

$12.22 ₡5,509

308.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.91 BSD 12.91

$7.54 ₡3,399

71.22%

Cappuccino

$4.02 BSD 4.02

$4.31 ₡1,941

-6.73%

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

$3.99 BSD 3.99

$1.72 ₡773

131.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 BSD 2.05

$1.35 ₡608

51.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 BSD 4.94

$3.24 ₡1,459

52.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 BSD 4.93

$4.48 ₡2,018

10.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$7.94 BSD 7.94

$1.57 ₡707

405.73%

White Bread (500g)

$6.07 BSD 6.07

$3.17 ₡1,429

91.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.43 BSD 3.43

$2.42 ₡1,091

41.74%

Eggs

$11.25 BSD 11.25

$3.57 ₡1,609

215.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 BSD 13.12

$7.43 ₡3,349

76.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.22 BSD 8.22

$13.66 ₡6,156

-39.82%

Apples (1kg)

$14.10 BSD 14.10

$2.32 ₡1,044

507.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 BSD 1.24

$4.74 ₡2,138

-73.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$12.10 BSD 12.10

$1.66 ₡747

628.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 BSD 2.14

$3.72 ₡1,679

-42.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 BSD 2.80

$3.57 ₡1,611

-21.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 BSD 1.02

$1.10 ₡497

-7.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 BSD 1.98

$2.55 ₡1,149

-22.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$29.46 BSD 29.46

$20.01 ₡9,020

47.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.03 BSD 5.03

$2.79 ₡1,256

80.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 BSD 5.10

$3.53 ₡1,589

44.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 BSD 1.99

$1.55 ₡701

28.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$219 BSD 219

$93.5 ₡42.1K

133.94%

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

$58.8 BSD 58.8

$35.11 ₡15.8K

67.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 BSD 68.7

$51.5 ₡23.2K

33.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 BSD 79.2

$53.5 ₡24.1K

47.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 BSD 50.0

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-10.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$254 BSD 254

$79.3 ₡35.7K

220.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 BSD 99.4

$78.9 ₡35.6K

25.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 BSD 540

$786 ₡354.3K

-31.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 BSD 558

$780 ₡351.6K

-28.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 BSD 1,615

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-58.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 BSD 1,584

$1,407 ₡634.4K

12.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 BSD 1,101

$876 ₡395.0K

25.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Crooked Island: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Crooked Island

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Crooked Island

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Crooked Island

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Crooked Island

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Crooked Island

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Crooked Island

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Crooked Island

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $540 in Crooked Island and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Crooked Island pays 26% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇧🇸 Crooked Island

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:08 3:08 AM

01:08 1:08 AM

2 h behind Crooked Island

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

240

4,912

💱 Currency

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BSD – Bahamian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇸 Bahamian Dollar ($)

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Crooked Island Nosara 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Crooked Island
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

Crooked Island vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Crooked Island and Nosara differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,241 vs $1,837 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Crooked Island, 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: $540 in Crooked Island versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Crooked Island. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,241 per month in Crooked Island versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,241 in Crooked Island, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Crooked Island. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Crooked Island 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 22% less than in Crooked Island. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.