Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elliot Lake, ON and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,324 in Elliot Lake, ON, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Elliot Lake, ON
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Elliot Lake, ON Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Elliot Lake, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,324

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,324 in Elliot Lake, ON versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Elliot Lake, ON $2,324
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,241 in Elliot Lake, ON versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Elliot Lake, ON $3,241
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,158 in Elliot Lake, ON versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Elliot Lake, ON $4,158
Nosara $3,814

Living in Elliot Lake, ON is roughly 27% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elliot Lake, ON 72% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 CA$25.11

$12.34 ₡5,535

43.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 CA$91.7

$61.3 ₡27.5K

5.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 CA$14.94

$7.76 ₡3,481

36.21%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.23

$4.44 ₡1,992

-16.67%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$1.79 ₡803

10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.29

$1.29 ₡580

25.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.21 CA$7.36

$3.24 ₡1,451

60.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 CA$7.98

$4.43 ₡1,985

27.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 CA$3.25

$1.55 ₡696

48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$3.08 ₡1,380

-17.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 CA$4.30

$2.53 ₡1,133

20.16%

Eggs

$3.17 CA$4.48

$3.45 ₡1,546

-8.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 CA$14.53

$7.32 ₡3,284

40.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.93 CA$18.28

$10.24 ₡4,594

26.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 CA$23.08

$14.10 ₡6,326

15.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.47

$2.29 ₡1,027

69.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.64 ₡737

-23.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.97

$4.79 ₡2,149

-26.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.54

$1.64 ₡735

139.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.86

$3.85 ₡1,727

-29.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 CA$2.81

$3.75 ₡1,681

-46.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.43

$1.09 ₡488

122.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$2.59 ₡1,160

-30.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 CA$20.04

$5.12 ₡2,295

176.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 CA$18.10

$19.92 ₡8,931

-35.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.42

$2.80 ₡1,255

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.52 ₡1,580

-17.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$1.22 ₡549

84.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.7 CA$91.4

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-12.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.17

$2.17 ₡973

35.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.98

$1.56 ₡698

-10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.73 CA$33.55

$8.67 ₡3,886

173.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 CA$1.52

$1.55 ₡697

-30.97%

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

$25.8K CA$36.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.38%

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

$23.2K CA$32.8K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-40.07%

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

$150 CA$212

$94.8 ₡42.5K

58.47%

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

$32.88 CA$46.48

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-9.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$78.6

$53.1 ₡23.8K

4.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.30 CA$62.6

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-39.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.25 CA$28.63

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-43.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 CA$14.15

$7.91 ₡3,548

26.55%

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

$628 CA$887

$490 ₡219.9K

28.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$16.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-2.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 CA$80.2

$54.8 ₡24.6K

3.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 CA$57.2

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-27.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 CA$131

$80.4 ₡36.0K

15.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$151

$77.9 ₡34.9K

37.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 CA$1,971

$801 ₡359.1K

74.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 CA$1,652

$790 ₡354.1K

48.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,224 CA$3,145

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-44.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 CA$2,206

$1,409 ₡632.0K

10.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,250 CA$6,009

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-39.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,892 CA$5,502

$1,236 ₡554.3K

214.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.67

8.62

-45.82%

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

Last update for Elliot Lake, ON: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elliot Lake, ON

$1.2K 50.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 32.5% $379

Groceries & Markets

Elliot Lake, ON

$365 15.7%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 4.3% $16

Eating Out

Elliot Lake, ON

$270 11.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 21.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elliot Lake, ON

$239 10.3%

Nosara

$184 10% 22.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Elliot Lake, ON

$134 5.8%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 9.5% $13

Getting Around

Elliot Lake, ON

$84 3.6%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 6.1% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Elliot Lake, ON

$64 2.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 39.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,394 in Elliot Lake, ON and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Elliot Lake, ON vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Elliot Lake, ON

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:56 10:56 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

2 h behind Elliot Lake, ON

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,741

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 21, 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 21, 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

Elliot Lake, ON Nosara 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Elliot Lake, ON
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

Elliot Lake, ON vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,487 in Elliot Lake, ON and $2,753 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,394 in Elliot Lake, ON versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,324 per month in Elliot Lake, ON versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 14% less than in Elliot Lake, ON. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,324 in Elliot Lake, ON, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Elliot Lake, ON. 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 Elliot Lake, ON, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Elliot Lake, ON 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 27% less than in Elliot Lake, ON. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.