Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cruz Bay and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,940 in Cruz Bay, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,940

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,940 in Cruz Bay versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Cruz Bay $2,940
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,735 in Cruz Bay versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Cruz Bay $4,735
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,530 in Cruz Bay versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Cruz Bay $6,530
Nosara $3,712

Living in Cruz Bay is roughly 60% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cruz Bay 119% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.40 $29.40

$12.22 ₡5,509

140.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.2 $92.2

$60.2 ₡27.1K

53.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.78 $16.78

$7.54 ₡3,399

122.55%

Cappuccino

$9.25 $9.25

$4.31 ₡1,941

114.62%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$1.72 ₡773

72.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.35 ₡608

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.96 $7.96

$3.24 ₡1,459

145.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.16 $9.16

$4.48 ₡2,018

104.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$8.23 $8.23

$1.57 ₡707

424.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$4.93 $4.93

$3.57 ₡1,609

38.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.54 $15.54

$10.42 ₡4,697

49.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$8.57 $8.57

$2.32 ₡1,044

269.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$25.46 $25.46

$20.01 ₡9,020

27.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

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)

$1.55 ₡701

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)

$357 $357

$93.5 ₡42.1K

281.83%

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

$141 $141

$35.11 ₡15.8K

301.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 $59.6

$51.5 ₡23.2K

15.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.0 $90.0

$71.4 ₡32.2K

25.98%

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)

$13.2K $13.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

11.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,799 $1,799

$786 ₡354.3K

128.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 $1,523

$780 ₡351.6K

95.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,551 $3,551

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-8.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,454 $3,454

$1,407 ₡634.4K

145.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

56.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,136 $6,136

$876 ₡395.0K

600.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-42.00%

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

Last update for Cruz Bay: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cruz Bay

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Cruz Bay

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Cruz Bay

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cruz Bay

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Cruz Bay

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Cruz Bay

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Cruz Bay

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,799 in Cruz Bay and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cruz Bay pays 600% 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: $92.0 in Cruz Bay vs $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $350, with Cruz Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Cruz Bay

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

2 h behind Cruz Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cruz Bay Nosara 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cruz Bay
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

Cruz Bay vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cruz Bay and Nosara differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($2,940 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 600% higher in Cruz Bay, 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: $1,799 in Cruz Bay versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $92.0 in Cruz Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,940 per month in Cruz Bay versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,940 in Cruz Bay, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Cruz Bay. 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, Cruz Bay 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 60% less than in Cruz Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.