Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dundee and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,033 in Dundee, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Dundee
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,033
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,033 in Dundee versus $1,837 in Nosara.

  • Dundee $2,033
  • Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,059 in Dundee versus $2,775 in Nosara.

  • Dundee $3,059
  • Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,084 in Dundee versus $3,712 in Nosara.

  • Dundee $4,084
  • Nosara $3,712

Living in Dundee is roughly 11% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dundee 52% above, Nosara 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dundee
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.00 £15.87
$12.22 ₡5,509
71.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.4 £60.0
$60.2 ₡27.1K
31.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.38 £7.84
$7.54 ₡3,399
37.67%
Cappuccino
$4.42 £3.34
$4.31 ₡1,941
2.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 £1.95
$1.72 ₡773
50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 £0.98
$1.35 ₡608
-3.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.79 £4.38
$3.24 ₡1,459
78.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.02 £4.55
$4.48 ₡2,018
34.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dundee
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 £1.53
$1.57 ₡707
28.66%
White Bread (500g)
$1.77 £1.34
$3.17 ₡1,429
-44.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.67 £2.02
$2.42 ₡1,091
10.33%
Eggs
$5.39 £4.07
$3.57 ₡1,609
50.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.47 £5.65
$7.43 ₡3,349
0.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.45 £7.14
$10.42 ₡4,697
-9.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.30 £11.56
$13.66 ₡6,156
12.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 £1.85
$2.32 ₡1,044
5.60%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 £1.74
$1.61 ₡728
42.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.78 £2.10
$4.74 ₡2,138
-41.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.74 £2.07
$1.66 ₡747
65.06%
Potato (1kg)
$3.16 £2.39
$3.72 ₡1,679
-15.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.11 £1.60
$3.57 ₡1,611
-40.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.84 £1.39
$1.10 ₡497
67.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 £1.78
$2.55 ₡1,149
-7.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.04 £17.41
$4.95 ₡2,232
365.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.92 £9.01
$20.01 ₡9,020
-40.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.15 £2.38
$2.79 ₡1,256
12.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 £2.49
$3.53 ₡1,589
-6.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Dundee
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.39 £2.56
$1.19 ₡537
184.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.1 £43.87
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-19.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.67 £3.53
$2.24 ₡1,011
108.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.84 £2.90
$1.55 ₡701
147.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.96 £19.62
$8.86 ₡3,993
193.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.04 £1.54
$1.57 ₡708
29.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.8K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
75.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.6K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
16.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dundee
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$237 £179
$93.5 ₡42.1K
154.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.16 £9.94
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-62.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.84 £32.38
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-16.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dundee
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.99 £36.26
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-32.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.17 £5.42
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-79.77%
Cinema Ticket
$13.18 £9.96
$7.84 ₡3,535
68.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dundee
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,901 £1,436
$490 ₡220.7K
288.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dundee
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.1 £74.9
$53.5 ₡24.1K
85.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.3 £42.57
$55.8 ₡25.1K
1.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 £92.0
$79.3 ₡35.7K
53.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.1 £67.3
$78.9 ₡35.6K
12.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dundee
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,052 £795
$786 ₡354.3K
33.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$813 £614
$780 ₡351.6K
4.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,632 £1,233
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-57.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,251 £945
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-11.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,117 £3,111
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-40.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,266 £2,468
$1,201 ₡541.3K
172.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dundee
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,163 £2,390
$876 ₡395.0K
260.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.41
8.62
-37.24%

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

Last update for Dundee: 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
Dundee
$813
Nosara
$780 4.1% $33
Groceries & Markets
Dundee
$332
Nosara
$350 5.3% $17
Eating Out
Dundee
$309
Nosara
$209 32.2% $99
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dundee
$293
Nosara
$180 38.6% $113
Clothing & Footwear
Dundee
$165
Nosara
$120 27% $45
Getting Around
Dundee
$95
Nosara
$87 9% $8.6
Sport & Entertainment
Dundee
$74
Nosara
$87 17.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,052 in Dundee and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dundee pays 261% 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: $79.0 in Dundee vs $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $350, with Dundee cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Dundee
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
02:37 2:37 AM
19:37 7:37 PM
7 h behind Dundee
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
148,280
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
  • Dundee Nosara 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dundee
  • 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
Dundee vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Dundee and in Nosara?
Dundee and Nosara differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,033 vs $1,837 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Dundee or Nosara?
Average pay runs 261% higher in Dundee, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Dundee and in Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,052 in Dundee versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Dundee and in Nosara?
A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 24% less than in Dundee. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Dundee and Nosara?
Childcare runs $1,901 in Dundee versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,033 in Dundee, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Dundee. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Dundee and Nosara?
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.
Is Dundee or Nosara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Dundee 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.
Where should expats move: Dundee or Nosara?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Dundee. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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