Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moncton and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,029 in Moncton, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Moncton despite lower rent and utilities.

Moncton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,029
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,029 per month in Moncton vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Moncton $2,029
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,066 per month in Moncton vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Moncton $3,066
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,103 per month in Moncton vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Moncton $4,103
  • Nosara $3,712

Moncton costs about 10% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Moncton and Nosara sit above the global median – Moncton by 51%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Moncton
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.44 CA$26.28
$12.22 ₡5,509
50.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.5 CA$94.7
$60.2 ₡27.1K
10.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.45 CA$14.90
$7.54 ₡3,399
38.59%
Cappuccino
$3.51 CA$5.01
$4.31 ₡1,941
-18.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.90
$1.72 ₡773
18.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 CA$2.68
$1.35 ₡608
39.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.34 CA$6.19
$3.24 ₡1,459
33.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.62 CA$8.01
$4.48 ₡2,018
25.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Moncton
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.93 CA$4.17
$1.57 ₡707
86.62%
White Bread (500g)
$2.77 CA$3.94
$3.17 ₡1,429
-12.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.41 CA$4.86
$2.42 ₡1,091
40.91%
Eggs
$3.75 CA$5.34
$3.57 ₡1,609
5.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 CA$18.65
$7.43 ₡3,349
76.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.97 CA$21.34
$10.42 ₡4,697
43.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 CA$18.67
$13.66 ₡6,156
-4.10%
Apples (1kg)
$5.41 CA$7.71
$2.32 ₡1,044
133.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 CA$2.29
$1.61 ₡728
-
Oranges (1kg)
$4.61 CA$6.57
$4.74 ₡2,138
-2.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.63 CA$8.03
$1.66 ₡747
239.16%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 CA$2.94
$3.72 ₡1,679
-44.62%
Onion (1kg)
$2.09 CA$2.98
$3.57 ₡1,611
-41.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.46 CA$3.51
$1.10 ₡497
123.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.12 CA$3.02
$2.55 ₡1,149
-16.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.08 CA$20.07
$4.95 ₡2,232
184.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.79 CA$19.66
$20.01 ₡9,020
-31.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.29 CA$4.69
$2.79 ₡1,256
17.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10 CA$5.84
$3.53 ₡1,589
16.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Moncton
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.06 CA$2.93
$1.19 ₡537
73.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.93 CA$69.8
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-32.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.81 CA$4.00
$2.24 ₡1,011
25.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 CA$1.95
$1.55 ₡701
-11.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.07 CA$30.03
$8.86 ₡3,993
137.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.24 CA$1.77
$1.57 ₡708
-21.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K CA$39.6K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
27.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K CA$27.2K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-44.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moncton
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 CA$172
$93.5 ₡42.1K
29.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$41.64 CA$59.4
$35.11 ₡15.8K
18.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.0 CA$89.8
$51.5 ₡23.2K
22.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Moncton
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.21 CA$68.7
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-32.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.09 CA$15.81
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-68.71%
Cinema Ticket
$12.59 CA$17.95
$7.84 ₡3,535
60.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Moncton
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$372 CA$530
$490 ₡220.7K
-23.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.3K CA$19.0K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
11.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Moncton
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.7 CA$85.1
$53.5 ₡24.1K
11.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.30 CA$50.3
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-36.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 CA$145
$79.3 ₡35.7K
28.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 CA$170
$78.9 ₡35.6K
51.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Moncton
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,011 CA$1,442
$786 ₡354.3K
28.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$800 CA$1,141
$780 ₡351.6K
2.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,579 CA$2,251
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-59.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,333 CA$1,900
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-5.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,160 CA$3,079
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-69.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,070 CA$2,951
$1,201 ₡541.3K
72.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Moncton
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,417 CA$3,445
$876 ₡395.0K
175.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.6
8.62
-46.64%

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

Last update for Moncton: 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
Moncton
$800
Nosara
$780 2.6% $21
Groceries & Markets
Moncton
$420
Nosara
$350 16.8% $71
Eating Out
Moncton
$270
Nosara
$209 22.3% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moncton
$225
Nosara
$180 20.1% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Moncton
$142
Nosara
$120 15.4% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Moncton
$73
Nosara
$87 18.6% $14
Getting Around
Moncton
$67
Nosara
$87 30% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,011 in Moncton 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 176% higher in Moncton, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Moncton versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Moncton
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
05:22 5:22 AM
02:22 2:22 AM
3 h behind Moncton
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
80,000
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Moncton Nosara 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Moncton
  • 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
Moncton vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Moncton and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,029 in Moncton, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Moncton compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,044 per month in Moncton and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Moncton and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Moncton and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Moncton or Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,029 in Moncton and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 10%.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Moncton at $2,029. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moncton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Moncton and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $2,029 in Moncton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Moncton or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Moncton and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moncton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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