Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derby and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,167 in Derby, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Derby
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,167
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,167 per month in Derby vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Derby $2,167
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,327 per month in Derby vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Derby $3,327
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,486 per month in Derby vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Derby $4,486
  • Nosara $3,712

Derby costs about 18% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Derby and Nosara sit above the global median – Derby by 62%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Derby
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.91 £20.33
$12.22 ₡5,509
120.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$94.2 £71.2
$60.2 ₡27.1K
56.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.43 £7.88
$7.54 ₡3,399
38.33%
Cappuccino
$4.99 £3.77
$4.31 ₡1,941
15.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 £1.98
$1.72 ₡773
51.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 £1.48
$1.35 ₡608
45.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.44 £4.87
$3.24 ₡1,459
98.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.27 £5.49
$4.48 ₡2,018
62.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Derby
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 £1.18
$1.57 ₡707
-1.27%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 £1.08
$3.17 ₡1,429
-54.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.38 £1.79
$2.42 ₡1,091
-1.65%
Eggs
$3.79 £2.87
$3.57 ₡1,609
6.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.33 £6.30
$7.43 ₡3,349
12.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.28 £6.26
$10.42 ₡4,697
-20.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.21 £17.54
$13.66 ₡6,156
69.91%
Apples (1kg)
$5.35 £4.04
$2.32 ₡1,044
130.60%
Banana (1kg)
$2.82 £2.13
$1.61 ₡728
75.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 £2.33
$4.74 ₡2,138
-35.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.66 £2.76
$1.66 ₡747
120.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.47 £1.11
$3.72 ₡1,679
-60.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.60 £1.21
$3.57 ₡1,611
-55.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.05 £0.79
$1.10 ₡497
-4.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 £1.03
$2.55 ₡1,149
-46.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.53 £17.78
$4.95 ₡2,232
375.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.47 £7.91
$20.01 ₡9,020
-47.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.13 £2.37
$2.79 ₡1,256
12.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 £2.68
$3.53 ₡1,589
0.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Derby
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 £2.20
$1.19 ₡537
144.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.0 £68.0
$72.1 ₡32.5K
24.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.38 £3.31
$2.24 ₡1,011
95.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 £1.25
$1.55 ₡701
7.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.34 £24.44
$8.86 ₡3,993
265.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.01 £1.52
$1.57 ₡708
28.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.0K £28.7K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
74.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K £30.0K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
14.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Derby
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$367 £277
$93.5 ₡42.1K
292.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.46 £14.70
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-44.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.48 £30.59
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-21.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Derby
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.27 £33.45
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-38.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.00 £19.65
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-26.64%
Cinema Ticket
$15.41 £11.64
$7.84 ₡3,535
96.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Derby
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,808 £1,366
$490 ₡220.7K
269.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.3K £15.4K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
71.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Derby
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$113 £85.7
$53.5 ₡24.1K
111.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.6 £42.78
$55.8 ₡25.1K
1.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.4 £63.8
$79.3 ₡35.7K
6.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.5 £74.5
$78.9 ₡35.6K
24.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Derby
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$804 £608
$786 ₡354.3K
2.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$720 £544
$780 ₡351.6K
-7.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,576 £1,191
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-59.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,345 £1,016
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-4.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,789 £4,375
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-16.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,100 £2,343
$1,201 ₡541.3K
158.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Derby
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,570 £2,698
$876 ₡395.0K
307.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.88
8.62
-43.39%

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

Last update for Derby: 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
Derby
$720
Nosara
$780 8.3% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Derby
$427
Nosara
$180 57.8% $247
Eating Out
Derby
$371
Nosara
$209 43.6% $162
Groceries & Markets
Derby
$337
Nosara
$350 3.8% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Derby
$159
Nosara
$120 24.2% $39
Getting Around
Derby
$114
Nosara
$87 24% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Derby
$75
Nosara
$87 16% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $804 in Derby versus $786 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 307% higher in Derby, 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 $94.0 in Derby versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $337 in Derby vs $350 in Nosara – so Derby wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Derby
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
06:26 6:26 AM
23:26 11:26 PM
7 h behind Derby
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
233,700
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Derby Nosara 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Derby
  • 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
Derby vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Derby or Nosara?
Derby costs about 18% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Derby and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,250 per month in Derby and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Derby or Nosara?
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.
How do childcare costs compare in Derby and in Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $1,808 per month in Derby and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Derby or in Nosara?
Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Derby – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Derby or in Nosara?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Derby at $2,167. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Derby it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Derby or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $2,167 in Derby. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Derby compared to Nosara?
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.
Should I move to Derby or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Derby makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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