Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingstown and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingstown: $1,321 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

64

Cost of Living Index in Kingstown
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Kingstown Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Kingstown

🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

$1,321

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,321 per month in Kingstown vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Kingstown $1,321
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,994 per month in Kingstown vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Kingstown $1,994
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,666 per month in Kingstown vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Kingstown $2,666
Nosara $3,712

Kingstown is about 28% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kingstown sits 1% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.33 EC$17.08

$12.22 ₡5,509

-48.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.40 EC$101

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-37.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 EC$27.98

$7.54 ₡3,399

37.40%

Cappuccino

$4.01 EC$10.84

$4.31 ₡1,941

-6.96%

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

$2.33 EC$6.28

$1.72 ₡773

35.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 EC$4.91

$1.35 ₡608

34.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 EC$4.57

$3.24 ₡1,459

-47.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 EC$5.95

$4.48 ₡2,018

-50.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 EC$8.49

$1.57 ₡707

100.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 EC$5.82

$3.17 ₡1,429

-31.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 EC$3.86

$2.42 ₡1,091

-40.91%

Eggs

$4.61 EC$12.44

$3.57 ₡1,609

29.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 EC$35.60

$7.43 ₡3,349

77.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 EC$10.42

$10.42 ₡4,697

-62.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.25 EC$33.09

$13.66 ₡6,156

-10.32%

Apples (1kg)

$9.78 EC$26.41

$2.32 ₡1,044

321.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.48 EC$9.40

$1.61 ₡728

116.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.89 EC$26.70

$4.74 ₡2,138

108.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.99 EC$16.16

$1.66 ₡747

260.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 EC$10.50

$3.72 ₡1,679

4.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 EC$10.48

$3.57 ₡1,611

8.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 EC$7.67

$1.10 ₡497

158.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 EC$5.87

$2.55 ₡1,149

-14.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 EC$11.20

$4.95 ₡2,232

-16.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.74 EC$45.20

$20.01 ₡9,020

-16.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 EC$7.43

$2.79 ₡1,256

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 EC$6.65

$3.53 ₡1,589

-30.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 EC$3.21

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 EC$136

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-30.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.24 EC$30.36

$2.24 ₡1,011

401.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 EC$4.87

$1.55 ₡701

16.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.10 EC$78.6

$8.86 ₡3,993

228.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.22 EC$8.69

$1.57 ₡708

105.10%

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

$38.6K EC$104.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

77.23%

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

$30.4K EC$82.0K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-12.34%

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

$75.3 EC$203

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-19.40%

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

$33.71 EC$91.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-3.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 EC$140

$51.5 ₡23.2K

0.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.27 EC$87.1

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-54.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.66 EC$12.58

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-86.85%

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 EC$12.42

$7.84 ₡3,535

-41.33%

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

$105 EC$283

$490 ₡220.7K

-78.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 EC$172

$53.5 ₡24.1K

18.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 EC$166

$55.8 ₡25.1K

9.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 EC$201

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-6.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 EC$254

$78.9 ₡35.6K

19.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$284 EC$768

$786 ₡354.3K

-63.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 EC$887

$780 ₡351.6K

-57.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 EC$1,525

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-85.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 EC$1,280

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-66.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$589 EC$1,590

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-91.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$599 EC$1,616

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-50.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 EC$2,886

$876 ₡395.0K

21.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

8.62

-12.99%

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

Last update for Kingstown: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kingstown

$421 31.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 17% $72

Accommodation & Living

Kingstown

$329 24.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 137% $451

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingstown

$161 12.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 12% $19

Eating Out

Kingstown

$159 12.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 31.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Kingstown

$132 10%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 8.8% $12

Getting Around

Kingstown

$75 5.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 15.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Kingstown

$41 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 110% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $284 in Kingstown versus $786 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 22% higher in Kingstown, 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 $37.00 in Kingstown versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $421 in Kingstown vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇨 Kingstown

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

02:49 2:49 AM

2 h behind Kingstown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,720 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.33 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.33 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).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kingstown Nosara 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kingstown
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

Kingstown vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,982 per month in Kingstown and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 44% less in Kingstown. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $105 per month in Kingstown and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kingstown, where all-in costs run around $1,321, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Kingstown it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kingstown – 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 Kingstown. 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.