Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duncan BC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,112 in Duncan BC, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Duncan BC
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Duncan BC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Duncan BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,112

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,112 in Duncan BC versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Duncan BC $2,112
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,371 in Duncan BC versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Duncan BC $3,371
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,630 in Duncan BC versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Duncan BC $4,630
Nosara $3,818

Living in Duncan BC is roughly 15% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Duncan BC 56% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 CA$24.40

$12.35 ₡5,539

39.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 CA$97.8

$61.2 ₡27.4K

13.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 CA$14.95

$7.52 ₡3,373

40.56%

Cappuccino

$4.06 CA$5.73

$4.41 ₡1,978

-7.94%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$1.74 ₡780

22.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.36

$1.31 ₡587

27.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 CA$7.63

$3.28 ₡1,471

64.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 CA$7.80

$4.47 ₡2,004

23.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 CA$2.20

$1.56 ₡701

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.68

$3.02 ₡1,355

-13.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 CA$6.15

$2.51 ₡1,125

73.31%

Eggs

$4.04 CA$5.71

$3.57 ₡1,603

13.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 CA$16.95

$7.43 ₡3,333

61.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.34 CA$18.85

$10.52 ₡4,717

26.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 CA$20.13

$13.97 ₡6,265

1.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.69

$2.35 ₡1,052

71.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.85

$1.61 ₡720

-18.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$4.80 ₡2,152

-21.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.52

$1.61 ₡724

142.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$3.80 ₡1,703

-28.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$3.69 ₡1,657

-23.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CA$3.58

$1.13 ₡507

124.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.66 ₡1,191

-40.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 CA$19.49

$5.18 ₡2,321

166.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 CA$16.56

$19.88 ₡8,916

-41.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.90 ₡1,300

-8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 CA$4.19

$3.63 ₡1,626

-18.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CA$2.80

$1.12 ₡504

76.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.7 CA$83.0

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-19.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 CA$3.82

$2.14 ₡958

26.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.57 ₡703

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.64 CA$43.32

$8.52 ₡3,823

259.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.76

$1.52 ₡682

-17.76%

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

$25.4K CA$35.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

17.63%

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

$19.7K CA$27.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-42.96%

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

$82.6 CA$117

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-14.20%

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

$36.70 CA$51.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

2.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$72.0

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-4.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 CA$84.0

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-17.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 CA$17.54

$7.89 ₡3,539

57.29%

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

$1,032 CA$1,459

$494 ₡221.6K

108.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,936 CA$14.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-16.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 CA$79.8

$53.9 ₡24.2K

4.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.64 CA$46.14

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-41.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$77.9 ₡34.9K

20.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 CA$133

$79.6 ₡35.7K

18.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CA$1,716

$788 ₡353.4K

54.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 CA$1,435

$794 ₡356.2K

27.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 CA$3,196

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-42.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 CA$2,940

$1,419 ₡636.5K

46.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,345 CA$6,142

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-37.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,513 CA$4,967

$1,224 ₡549.0K

187.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,075 CA$4,347

$864 ₡387.3K

256.07%

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 Duncan BC: 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

Duncan BC

$1K 48.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 21.8% $221

Groceries & Markets

Duncan BC

$368 17.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 4.4% $16

Eating Out

Duncan BC

$272 12.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 22% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duncan BC

$170 8.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 9.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Duncan BC

$125 5.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3.8% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Duncan BC

$84 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 3.8% $3.2

Getting Around

Duncan BC

$77 3.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 12.7% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Duncan BC and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duncan BC pays 256% 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 Duncan BC vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Duncan BC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

12:48 12:48 PM

1 h ahead of Duncan BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,199

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

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Between locations

Duncan BC Nosara 5,570 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Duncan BC
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

Duncan BC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 256% higher in Duncan BC, 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: $1,214 in Duncan BC versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Duncan BC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $69.0 in Duncan BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,112 in Duncan BC, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Duncan BC. 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 Duncan BC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Duncan BC 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 15% less than in Duncan BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.