Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisburn and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,242 in Lisburn, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisburn
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,242
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,242 in Lisburn versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Lisburn $2,242
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,431 in Lisburn versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Lisburn $3,431
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,621 in Lisburn versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Lisburn $4,621
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Lisburn is roughly 22% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisburn 66% above, Nosara 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisburn
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.10 £21.83
$12.35 ₡5,539
135.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.6 £55.2
$61.2 ₡27.4K
20.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.69 £10.27
$7.52 ₡3,373
82.05%
Cappuccino
$4.97 £3.72
$4.41 ₡1,978
12.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 £1.48
$1.74 ₡780
13.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 £1.39
$1.31 ₡587
41.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.48 £5.61
$3.28 ₡1,471
128.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.06 £4.55
$4.47 ₡2,004
35.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisburn
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.88 £1.41
$1.56 ₡701
20.51%
White Bread (500g)
$2.47 £1.85
$3.02 ₡1,355
-18.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 £1.65
$2.51 ₡1,125
-12.35%
Eggs
$4.07 £3.05
$3.57 ₡1,603
14.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.17 £6.88
$7.43 ₡3,333
23.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.43 £6.32
$10.52 ₡4,717
-19.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.38 £10.79
$13.97 ₡6,265
2.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.63 £1.97
$2.35 ₡1,052
11.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.34 £1.00
$1.61 ₡720
-16.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.45 £1.84
$4.80 ₡2,152
-48.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.94 £2.21
$1.61 ₡724
82.61%
Potato (1kg)
$1.76 £1.32
$3.80 ₡1,703
-53.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 £1.34
$3.69 ₡1,657
-51.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 £1.03
$1.13 ₡507
21.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 £1.19
$2.66 ₡1,191
-40.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.57 £17.68
$5.18 ₡2,321
355.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 £7.20
$19.88 ₡8,916
-51.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.91 £2.18
$2.90 ₡1,300
0.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 £2.06
$3.63 ₡1,626
-24.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisburn
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.45 £2.59
$1.12 ₡504
208.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.2 £72.1
$72.6 ₡32.6K
32.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.75 £3.56
$2.14 ₡958
121.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.11 £1.58
$1.57 ₡703
34.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.36 £16.77
$8.52 ₡3,823
162.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.56
$1.52 ₡682
36.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.5K £28.1K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
73.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.0K £30.0K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
15.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisburn
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$282 £212
$96.3 ₡43.2K
192.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.84 £14.14
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-47.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.87 £33.66
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-16.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisburn
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.68 £35.02
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-34.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.50 £7.88
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-69.92%
Cinema Ticket
$14.04 £10.54
$7.89 ₡3,539
77.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisburn
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,519 £1,140
$494 ₡221.6K
207.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.8K £16.4K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
83.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisburn
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.0 £66.0
$53.9 ₡24.2K
63.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.43 £31.08
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-25.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.0 £62.3
$77.9 ₡34.9K
6.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.1 £70.6
$79.6 ₡35.7K
18.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisburn
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,224 £918
$788 ₡353.4K
55.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$860 £646
$794 ₡356.2K
8.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,071 £1,554
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-47.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,659 £1,244
$1,419 ₡636.5K
16.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,297 £3,974
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-23.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,633 £2,725
$1,224 ₡549.0K
196.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisburn
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$864 ₡387.3K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.08
8.62
-41.07%

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

Last update for Lisburn: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisburn
$860
Nosara
$794 7.7% $66
Eating Out
Lisburn
$398
Nosara
$212 46.8% $186
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisburn
$346
Nosara
$186 46.3% $160
Groceries & Markets
Lisburn
$300
Nosara
$352 17.6% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Lisburn
$138
Nosara
$120 12.9% $18
Getting Around
Lisburn
$125
Nosara
$87 30.4% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Lisburn
$75
Nosara
$87 16.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Lisburn and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Lisburn vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $352, with Lisburn cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Lisburn
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
21:19 9:19 PM
14:19 2:19 PM
7 h behind Lisburn
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
71,403
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisburn Nosara 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisburn
  • 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
Lisburn vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisburn or Nosara?
Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Lisburn. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lisburn and in Nosara?
You'd need roughly $3,363 in Lisburn and $2,758 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lisburn compared to Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,224 in Lisburn versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisburn and in Nosara?
Childcare runs $1,519 in Lisburn versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Lisburn or in Nosara?
Shoppers in Lisburn pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Lisburn or in Nosara?
At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,242 in Lisburn, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Lisburn. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lisburn or Nosara?
Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.
How safe is Lisburn compared to Nosara?
Safety-wise, Lisburn 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 22% less than in Lisburn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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