Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort-de-france and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,056 in Fort-de-france, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Fort-de-france
🇲🇶 Martinique
$2,056
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,056 in Fort-de-france versus $1,837 in Nosara.

  • Fort-de-france $2,056
  • Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,350 in Fort-de-france versus $2,775 in Nosara.

  • Fort-de-france $3,350
  • Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,645 in Fort-de-france versus $3,712 in Nosara.

  • Fort-de-france $4,645
  • Nosara $3,712

Living in Fort-de-france is roughly 12% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort-de-france 53% above, Nosara 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fort-de-france
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.20 €19.81
$12.22 ₡5,509
81.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.5 €88.8
$60.2 ₡27.1K
65.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.44 €13.78
$7.54 ₡3,399
104.77%
Cappuccino
$4.67 €4.16
$4.31 ₡1,941
8.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.62 €3.23
$1.72 ₡773
110.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 €3.27
$1.35 ₡608
171.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.42 €6.62
$3.24 ₡1,459
129.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.16 €4.61
$4.48 ₡2,018
15.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fort-de-france
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.57 ₡707
8.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.88 €1.68
$3.17 ₡1,429
-40.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.49 €3.11
$2.42 ₡1,091
44.21%
Eggs
$6.14 €5.48
$3.57 ₡1,609
71.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.33 €17.25
$7.43 ₡3,349
160.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$22.52 €20.10
$10.42 ₡4,697
116.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.50 €18.29
$13.66 ₡6,156
50.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.75 €3.34
$2.32 ₡1,044
61.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 €1.24
$1.61 ₡728
-13.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.86 €2.55
$4.74 ₡2,138
-39.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.02 €6.27
$1.66 ₡747
322.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$3.72 ₡1,679
-47.04%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 €2.04
$3.57 ₡1,611
-35.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.66 €1.48
$1.10 ₡497
50.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 €0.63
$2.55 ₡1,149
-72.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.93 €10.65
$4.95 ₡2,232
141.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.41 €7.51
$20.01 ₡9,020
-57.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$2.79 ₡1,256
-39.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.44
$3.53 ₡1,589
-22.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Fort-de-france
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.59 €1.42
$1.19 ₡537
33.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.6 €45.20
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-29.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.38 €3.91
$2.24 ₡1,011
95.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 €1.83
$1.55 ₡701
32.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.82 €38.21
$8.86 ₡3,993
383.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.51 €2.24
$1.57 ₡708
59.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K €31.8K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
63.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.3K €30.6K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-0.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fort-de-france
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$160 €142
$93.5 ₡42.1K
70.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 €10.07
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-67.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.10 €42.93
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-6.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fort-de-france
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.97 €33.89
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-46.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.96 €16.03
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-49.32%
Cinema Ticket
$10.96 €9.78
$7.84 ₡3,535
39.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fort-de-france
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$512 €457
$490 ₡220.7K
4.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,931 €3,508
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-66.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fort-de-france
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 €99.0
$53.5 ₡24.1K
107.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.43 €25.37
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-49.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$149 €133
$79.3 ₡35.7K
88.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$214 €191
$78.9 ₡35.6K
170.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fort-de-france
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,002 €894
$786 ₡354.3K
27.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$727 €649
$780 ₡351.6K
-6.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,691 €1,509
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-56.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,360 €1,214
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-3.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,328 €2,078
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-66.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,756 €2,459
$1,201 ₡541.3K
129.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fort-de-france
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,204 €1,966
$876 ₡395.0K
151.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.45
8.62
-83.18%

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

Last update for Fort-de-france: 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
Fort-de-france
$727
Nosara
$780 7.2% $52
Groceries & Markets
Fort-de-france
$436
Nosara
$350 19.9% $87
Eating Out
Fort-de-france
$357
Nosara
$209 41.3% $147
Clothing & Footwear
Fort-de-france
$226
Nosara
$120 46.8% $106
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fort-de-france
$219
Nosara
$180 17.7% $39
Getting Around
Fort-de-france
$72
Nosara
$87 21.2% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Fort-de-france
$60
Nosara
$87 45.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,002 in Fort-de-france and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort-de-france pays 151% 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: $99.0 in Fort-de-france vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇶 Fort-de-france
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
02:03 2:03 AM
00:03 12:03 AM
2 h behind Fort-de-france
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
76,512 Capital
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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
  • Fort-de-france Nosara 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Fort-de-france
  • 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
Fort-de-france vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Fort-de-france or Nosara?
Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Fort-de-france. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Fort-de-france or in Nosara?
Average pay runs 151% higher in Fort-de-france, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Fort-de-france compared to Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,002 in Fort-de-france versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Fort-de-france or in Nosara?
Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Fort-de-france. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Fort-de-france and in Nosara?
Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $99.0 in Fort-de-france. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Fort-de-france or in Nosara?
At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,056 in Fort-de-france, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Fort-de-france. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Fort-de-france or Nosara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.
How safe is Fort-de-france compared to Nosara?
Safety-wise, Fort-de-france 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Fort-de-france. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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