Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between May Pen and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $729 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$729

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $729 in May Pen versus $1,837 in Nosara.

May Pen $729
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $824 in May Pen versus $2,775 in Nosara.

May Pen $824
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $918 in May Pen versus $3,712 in Nosara.

May Pen $918
Nosara $3,712

Living in May Pen costs roughly 60% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: May Pen is 46% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 JMD 348

$1.57 ₡707

40.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 JMD 611

$3.17 ₡1,429

21.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 JMD 487

$2.42 ₡1,091

26.86%

Eggs

$3.45 JMD 547

$3.57 ₡1,609

-3.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 JMD 1,191

$10.42 ₡4,697

-27.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.18 JMD 821

$13.66 ₡6,156

-62.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 JMD 252

$2.32 ₡1,044

-31.47%

Banana (1kg)

$4.98 JMD 789

$1.61 ₡728

209.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.24 JMD 990

$4.74 ₡2,138

31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 JMD 292

$1.66 ₡747

10.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 JMD 308

$3.72 ₡1,679

-47.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 JMD 308

$3.57 ₡1,611

-45.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 JMD 492

$1.10 ₡497

182.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 JMD 442

$2.55 ₡1,149

9.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 JMD 345

$2.79 ₡1,256

-21.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 JMD 214

$1.57 ₡708

-14.01%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$43.08 JMD 6,828

$35.11 ₡15.8K

22.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 JMD 8,483

$51.5 ₡23.2K

3.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.86 JMD 2,513

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-70.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.76 JMD 3,448

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-60.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.43 JMD 6,565

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-47.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.6 JMD 8,646

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-30.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 JMD 45.5K

$780 ₡351.6K

-63.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for May Pen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

May Pen

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

May Pen

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

May Pen

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

May Pen

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

May Pen

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

May Pen

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

May Pen

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Good to know

🇯🇲 May Pen

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

20:48 8:48 PM

1 h behind May Pen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,755

4,912

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 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 JMD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

May Pen Nosara 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

May Pen
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

May Pen vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 152% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making May Pen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,094 in May Pen and $2,756 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $729 per month in May Pen versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 152% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $729 in May Pen versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes May Pen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but May Pen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $729 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes May Pen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, May Pen 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.

Expats usually find May Pen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.