Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nassau and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $4,276 in Nassau, rent and utilities included – about $29,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

210

Cost of Living Index in Nassau
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Nassau Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nassau

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$4,276

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,276 in Nassau versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Nassau $4,276
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,846 in Nassau versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Nassau $6,846
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,416 in Nassau versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Nassau $9,416
Nosara $3,712

Living in Nassau is roughly 133% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nassau 219% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$39.41 BSD 39.41

$12.22 ₡5,509

222.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$199 BSD 199

$60.2 ₡27.1K

230.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 BSD 11.90

$7.54 ₡3,399

57.82%

Cappuccino

$5.63 BSD 5.63

$4.31 ₡1,941

30.63%

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

$3.32 BSD 3.32

$1.72 ₡773

93.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 BSD 1.94

$1.35 ₡608

43.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 BSD 4.99

$3.24 ₡1,459

54.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 BSD 8.92

$4.48 ₡2,018

99.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.04 BSD 4.04

$1.57 ₡707

157.32%

White Bread (500g)

$5.65 BSD 5.65

$3.17 ₡1,429

78.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.88 BSD 6.88

$2.42 ₡1,091

184.30%

Eggs

$7.42 BSD 7.42

$3.57 ₡1,609

107.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 BSD 10.53

$7.43 ₡3,349

41.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 BSD 18.50

$10.42 ₡4,697

77.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 BSD 26.89

$13.66 ₡6,156

96.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 BSD 5.67

$2.32 ₡1,044

144.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 BSD 3.56

$1.61 ₡728

121.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.24 BSD 5.24

$4.74 ₡2,138

10.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.54 BSD 10.54

$1.66 ₡747

534.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 BSD 2.91

$3.72 ₡1,679

-21.77%

Onion (1kg)

$5.45 BSD 5.45

$3.57 ₡1,611

52.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.82 BSD 4.82

$1.10 ₡497

338.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 BSD 2.82

$2.55 ₡1,149

10.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.19 BSD 15.19

$4.95 ₡2,232

206.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$34.45 BSD 34.45

$20.01 ₡9,020

72.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.52 BSD 5.52

$2.79 ₡1,256

97.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 BSD 4.85

$3.53 ₡1,589

37.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 BSD 2.56

$1.19 ₡537

115.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$153 BSD 153

$72.1 ₡32.5K

111.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.80 BSD 7.80

$2.24 ₡1,011

248.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 BSD 3.04

$1.55 ₡701

96.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.61 BSD 49.61

$8.86 ₡3,993

459.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 BSD 1.55

$1.57 ₡708

-1.27%

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

$30.4K BSD 30.4K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

39.53%

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

$43.0K BSD 43.0K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

24.12%

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

$397 BSD 397

$93.5 ₡42.1K

325.00%

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

$72.6 BSD 72.6

$35.11 ₡15.8K

106.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$110 BSD 110

$51.5 ₡23.2K

113.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$195 BSD 195

$71.4 ₡32.2K

173.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.44 BSD 43.44

$35.44 ₡16.0K

22.57%

Cinema Ticket

$19.95 BSD 19.95

$7.84 ₡3,535

154.46%

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

$865 BSD 865

$490 ₡220.7K

76.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K BSD 16.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

40.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.13 BSD 48.13

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-10.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$120 BSD 120

$55.8 ₡25.1K

114.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 BSD 128

$79.3 ₡35.7K

61.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 BSD 135

$78.9 ₡35.6K

71.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 BSD 1,487

$786 ₡354.3K

89.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 BSD 1,995

$780 ₡351.6K

155.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,733 BSD 4,733

$3,860 ₡1.7M

22.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 BSD 3,863

$1,407 ₡634.4K

174.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,409 BSD 5,409

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-22.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,329 BSD 3,329

$1,201 ₡541.3K

177.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 BSD 3,391

$876 ₡395.0K

286.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

8.62

-14.39%

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

Last update for Nassau: 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

Nassau

$2K 46%

Nosara

$780 43% 60.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Nassau

$661 15.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 47.1% $312

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nassau

$580 13.4%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 69% $400

Eating Out

Nassau

$482 11.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 56.6% $273

Sport & Entertainment

Nassau

$235 5.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 62.9% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Nassau

$194 4.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 38% $74

Getting Around

Nassau

$186 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 53.3% $99

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,487 in Nassau and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nassau pays 287% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $199 in Nassau vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $661 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇸 Nassau

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:27 1:27 AM

23:27 11:27 PM

2 h behind Nassau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

259,300 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BSD – Bahamian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇸 Bahamian Dollar ($)

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.892 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 BSD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nassau Nosara 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nassau
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

Nassau vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 133% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 287% higher in Nassau, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,487 in Nassau versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,276 per month in Nassau versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 112% less than in Nassau. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $4,276 in Nassau, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Nassau. 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 Nassau, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nassau 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 133% less than in Nassau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.