Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesex and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,391 in Middlesex, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Middlesex
Learn more

Middlesex Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Middlesex

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,391

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Middlesex versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Middlesex $2,391
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,444 in Middlesex versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Middlesex $3,444
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,498 in Middlesex versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Middlesex $4,498
Nosara $3,818

Living in Middlesex is roughly 30% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Middlesex 77% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.93 £14.96

$12.35 ₡5,539

61.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 £52.6

$61.2 ₡27.4K

14.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 £7.63

$7.52 ₡3,373

35.24%

Cappuccino

$3.43 £2.57

$4.41 ₡1,978

-22.22%

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

$2.29 £1.71

$1.74 ₡780

31.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 £1.53

$1.31 ₡587

55.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 £3.52

$3.28 ₡1,471

43.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 £3.13

$4.47 ₡2,004

-6.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 £0.96

$1.56 ₡701

-17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 £1.06

$3.02 ₡1,355

-52.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 £2.79

$2.51 ₡1,125

48.21%

Eggs

$3.55 £2.66

$3.57 ₡1,603

-0.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.61 £5.71

$7.43 ₡3,333

2.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 £5.42

$10.52 ₡4,717

-31.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 £10.44

$13.97 ₡6,265

-0.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 £2.46

$2.35 ₡1,052

39.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 £0.74

$1.61 ₡720

-39.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 £0.74

$4.80 ₡2,152

-79.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 £2.77

$1.61 ₡724

129.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.28

$3.80 ₡1,703

-55.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.31

$3.69 ₡1,657

-52.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.74

$1.13 ₡507

-12.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 £1.45

$2.66 ₡1,191

-27.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.26 £16.70

$5.18 ₡2,321

329.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.35 £7.01

$19.88 ₡8,916

-52.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.81 £3.61

$2.90 ₡1,300

65.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 £2.78

$3.63 ₡1,626

1.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 £2.63

$1.12 ₡504

213.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 £73.4

$72.6 ₡32.6K

34.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 £3.20

$2.14 ₡958

99.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 £1.51

$1.57 ₡703

28.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.38 £25.04

$8.52 ₡3,823

291.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 £1.51

$1.52 ₡682

32.89%

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

$38.2K £28.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

76.95%

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

$39.4K £29.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

14.23%

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

$354 £266

$96.3 ₡43.2K

267.99%

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

$25.42 £19.07

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-29.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.33 £30.26

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-24.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.97 £33.73

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-37.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 £13.08

$7.89 ₡3,539

120.91%

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

$792 £594

$494 ₡221.6K

60.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K £16.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

88.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 £81.8

$53.9 ₡24.2K

102.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 £41.14

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £85.3

$77.9 ₡34.9K

45.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 £85.4

$79.6 ₡35.7K

43.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 £910

$788 ₡353.4K

53.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 £766

$794 ₡356.2K

28.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 £1,578

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-46.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 £1,259

$1,419 ₡636.5K

18.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,963 £3,723

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-28.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,899 £2,925

$1,224 ₡549.0K

218.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

8.62

-35.85%

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

Last update for Middlesex: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Middlesex

$1K 42.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 22.2% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Middlesex

$420 17.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 55.8% $234

Groceries & Markets

Middlesex

$287 12%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 22.6% $65

Eating Out

Middlesex

$280 11.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 24.4% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Middlesex

$176 7.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 31.8% $56

Getting Around

Middlesex

$126 5.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 31% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Middlesex

$80 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 9.4% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,213 in Middlesex and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Middlesex vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $352, with Middlesex cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Middlesex

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

08:24 8:24 AM

7 h behind Middlesex

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,162

4,912

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

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).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Middlesex Nosara 8,820 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Middlesex
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

Middlesex vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,586 in Middlesex 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,213 in Middlesex versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,391 per month in Middlesex versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 35% less than in Middlesex. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,391 in Middlesex, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Middlesex. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Middlesex, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Middlesex 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Middlesex. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.