Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Joliette and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Joliette: $1,633 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Joliette
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Joliette Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Joliette

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,633

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,633 per month in Joliette vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Joliette $1,633
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,514 per month in Joliette vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Joliette $2,514
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,395 per month in Joliette vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Joliette $3,395
Nosara $3,818

Joliette is about 11% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Joliette and Nosara sit above the global median – Joliette by 21%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 CA$29.23

$12.35 ₡5,539

67.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 CA$74.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-14.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$15.16

$7.52 ₡3,373

42.69%

Cappuccino

$2.39 CA$3.38

$4.41 ₡1,978

-45.80%

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

$2.02 CA$2.86

$1.74 ₡780

16.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 CA$1.99

$1.31 ₡587

6.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 CA$5.85

$3.28 ₡1,471

26.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 CA$7.89

$4.47 ₡2,004

24.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.98

$1.56 ₡701

35.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 CA$3.42

$3.02 ₡1,355

-19.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.73

$2.51 ₡1,125

61.75%

Eggs

$2.44 CA$3.44

$3.57 ₡1,603

-31.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 CA$12.46

$7.43 ₡3,333

18.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.48 CA$14.82

$10.52 ₡4,717

-0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 CA$14.31

$13.97 ₡6,265

-27.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CA$5.84

$2.35 ₡1,052

75.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CA$2.16

$1.61 ₡720

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.44

$4.80 ₡2,152

-19.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.63

$1.61 ₡724

147.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.14

$3.80 ₡1,703

-22.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 CA$3.90

$3.69 ₡1,657

-25.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.13 ₡507

44.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$2.66 ₡1,191

-44.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.72 CA$20.81

$5.18 ₡2,321

184.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 CA$15.93

$19.88 ₡8,916

-43.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.45

$2.90 ₡1,300

8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 CA$4.73

$3.63 ₡1,626

-7.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 CA$2.83

$1.12 ₡504

78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 CA$84.0

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-18.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 CA$4.15

$2.14 ₡958

36.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CA$2.06

$1.57 ₡703

-7.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.81 CA$49.22

$8.52 ₡3,823

308.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 CA$1.28

$1.52 ₡682

-40.13%

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

$27.8K CA$39.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

28.79%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-37.50%

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

$99.0 CA$140

$96.3 ₡43.2K

2.76%

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

$31.74 CA$44.87

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-11.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.64 CA$61.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-18.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.01 CA$50.9

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-49.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.24 CA$24.37

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-50.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.68 CA$15.10

$7.89 ₡3,539

35.36%

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

$689 CA$974

$494 ₡221.6K

39.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,036 CA$12.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-23.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.97 CA$69.2

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-9.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.30 CA$54.1

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-30.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 CA$117

$77.9 ₡34.9K

6.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$149

$79.6 ₡35.7K

32.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 CA$928

$788 ₡353.4K

-16.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$599 CA$847

$794 ₡356.2K

-24.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 CA$1,776

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-68.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 CA$1,491

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-25.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,029 CA$5,695

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-41.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,913 CA$5,531

$1,224 ₡549.0K

219.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,710 CA$3,831

$864 ₡387.3K

213.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

8.62

-48.49%

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

Last update for Joliette: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Joliette

$599 36.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 32.7% $196

Groceries & Markets

Joliette

$329 20.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 7% $23

Eating Out

Joliette

$272 16.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 22.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Joliette

$174 10.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 6.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Joliette

$124 7.6%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3.1% $3.9

Getting Around

Joliette

$78 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 12.2% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Joliette

$57 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 52.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $657 in Joliette versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 214% higher in Joliette, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Joliette versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $352 – making Joliette the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Joliette

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

09:59 9:59 AM

2 h behind Joliette

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,484

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Joliette Nosara 4,170 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Joliette
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

Joliette vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,450 per month in Joliette and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Joliette, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $689 per month in Joliette and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Joliette, where all-in costs run around $1,633, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Joliette it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Joliette – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Joliette. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.