Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Falls-Windsor and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,446 in Grand Falls-Windsor, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Grand Falls-Windsor, Canada
Nosara, Costa Rica
Grand Falls-Windsor
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,446
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,844
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,446 per month in Grand Falls-Windsor vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Grand Falls-Windsor $2,446
  • Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Grand Falls-Windsor vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Grand Falls-Windsor $3,274
  • Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $4,102 per month in Grand Falls-Windsor vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Grand Falls-Windsor $4,102
  • Nosara $3,790

Grand Falls-Windsor costs about 33% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Grand Falls-Windsor and Nosara sit above the global median – Grand Falls-Windsor by 81%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Grand Falls-Windsor
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.10 CA$25.37
$12.38 ₡5,568
46.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.1 CA$99.6
$60.6 ₡27.2K
17.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.99 CA$16.80
$7.81 ₡3,513
53.52%
Cappuccino
$3.75 CA$5.25
$4.37 ₡1,966
-14.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 CA$3.11
$1.78 ₡800
24.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 CA$2.60
$1.35 ₡605
37.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.60 CA$7.85
$3.39 ₡1,526
65.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.14 CA$8.61
$4.31 ₡1,939
42.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Grand Falls-Windsor
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 CA$2.56
$1.55 ₡699
18.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.63 CA$3.69
$3.17 ₡1,425
-17.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.68 CA$5.16
$2.51 ₡1,130
46.61%
Eggs
$3.75 CA$5.26
$3.53 ₡1,585
6.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.15 CA$15.63
$7.37 ₡3,313
51.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.85 CA$15.21
$10.46 ₡4,703
3.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.15 CA$22.64
$13.91 ₡6,255
16.10%
Apples (1kg)
$4.34 CA$6.09
$2.26 ₡1,018
92.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 CA$1.92
$1.56 ₡701
-12.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 CA$4.58
$4.70 ₡2,113
-30.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.76 CA$5.27
$1.62 ₡729
132.10%
Potato (1kg)
$2.37 CA$3.32
$3.88 ₡1,746
-38.92%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 CA$3.13
$3.79 ₡1,704
-41.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 CA$3.31
$1.07 ₡481
120.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 CA$2.47
$2.61 ₡1,174
-32.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.97 CA$22.39
$5.16 ₡2,319
209.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.88 CA$18.05
$20.33 ₡9,143
-36.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.58 CA$3.62
$2.91 ₡1,310
-11.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 CA$4.48
$3.67 ₡1,651
-13.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Grand Falls-Windsor
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.60 CA$3.64
$1.31 ₡588
98.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$68.5 CA$96.1
$73.2 ₡32.9K
-6.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.92 CA$4.09
$2.19 ₡984
33.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.69 CA$2.37
$1.84 ₡829
-8.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.55 CA$38.62
$7.81 ₡3,513
252.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 CA$1.72
$1.56 ₡702
-21.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K CA$38.6K
$33.4K ₡15.0M
-17.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.8K CA$26.4K
$38.1K ₡17.1M
-50.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grand Falls-Windsor
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 CA$190
$95.9 ₡43.1K
41.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.93 CA$53.2
$35.37 ₡15.9K
7.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.0 CA$81.3
$53.7 ₡24.1K
8.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Grand Falls-Windsor
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.80 CA$48.78
$67.5 ₡30.3K
-48.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.67 CA$23.37
$35.43 ₡15.9K
-52.95%
Cinema Ticket
$11.59 CA$16.24
$7.72 ₡3,473
50.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Grand Falls-Windsor
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$713 CA$1,000
$496 ₡222.8K
43.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K CA$17.6K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
5.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Grand Falls-Windsor
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.4 CA$80.5
$54.6 ₡24.6K
5.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.70 CA$50.0
$55.0 ₡24.7K
-35.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.9 CA$115
$79.8 ₡35.9K
2.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 CA$151
$77.9 ₡35.0K
37.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Grand Falls-Windsor
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,239 CA$1,736
$817 ₡367.5K
51.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,297 CA$1,818
$800 ₡359.7K
62.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,975 CA$2,768
$3,889 ₡1.7M
-49.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,485 CA$2,081
$1,396 ₡627.6K
6.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,640 CA$6,504
$6,977 ₡3.1M
-33.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,168 CA$4,440
$1,222 ₡549.6K
159.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Grand Falls-Windsor
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$879 ₡395.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.68
8.62
-45.71%

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

Last update for Grand Falls-Windsor: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Grand Falls-Windsor
$1.3K
Nosara
$800 38.3% $497
Groceries & Markets
Grand Falls-Windsor
$359
Nosara
$353 1.9% $6.9
Eating Out
Grand Falls-Windsor
$282
Nosara
$213 24.5% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grand Falls-Windsor
$231
Nosara
$185 20.1% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Grand Falls-Windsor
$127
Nosara
$120 5.3% $6.8
Getting Around
Grand Falls-Windsor
$90
Nosara
$90 0.5% $0.5
Sport & Entertainment
Grand Falls-Windsor
$58
Nosara
$83 43% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,239 in Grand Falls-Windsor versus $817 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Grand Falls-Windsor versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $353 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Grand Falls-Windsor
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
08:06 8:06 AM
05:36 5:36 AM
2 h 30 min behind Grand Falls-Windsor
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,725
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Grand Falls-Windsor Nosara 5,150 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Grand Falls-Windsor
  • 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
Grand Falls-Windsor vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nosara cheaper than Grand Falls-Windsor?
Yes – Grand Falls-Windsor is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,669 per month in Grand Falls-Windsor and $2,765 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,239 in Grand Falls-Windsor.
What are total monthly expenses in Grand Falls-Windsor and in Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,446 in Grand Falls-Windsor and $1,844 in Nosara. That makes Nosara about 25% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $713 per month in Grand Falls-Windsor and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough for either Grand Falls-Windsor or Nosara?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,446 in Grand Falls-Windsor and $1,844 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Grand Falls-Windsor or Nosara more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Grand Falls-Windsor vs other spots: cost of living compared

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