Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Providence and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,134 in New Providence, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. The total is higher in New Providence despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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New Providence

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,134

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,134 per month in New Providence vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

New Providence $2,134
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $5,196 per month in New Providence vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

New Providence $5,196
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $8,257 per month in New Providence vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

New Providence $8,257
Nosara $3,712

New Providence costs about 16% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New Providence and Nosara sit above the global median – New Providence by 59%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$74.6 BSD 74.6

$12.22 ₡5,509

510.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 BSD 151

$60.2 ₡27.1K

151.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$5.40 BSD 5.40

$4.31 ₡1,941

25.29%

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)

$2.17 BSD 2.17

$1.57 ₡707

38.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.91 BSD 4.91

$3.17 ₡1,429

54.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.05 BSD 5.05

$2.42 ₡1,091

108.68%

Eggs

$10.12 BSD 10.12

$3.57 ₡1,609

183.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.69 BSD 19.69

$7.43 ₡3,349

165.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.09 BSD 10.09

$10.42 ₡4,697

-3.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.37 BSD 20.37

$13.66 ₡6,156

49.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 BSD 4.45

$2.32 ₡1,044

91.81%

Banana (1kg)

$6.10 BSD 6.10

$1.61 ₡728

278.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.17 BSD 7.17

$4.74 ₡2,138

51.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 BSD 4.02

$1.66 ₡747

142.17%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 BSD 4.02

$3.72 ₡1,679

8.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 BSD 2.95

$3.57 ₡1,611

-17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 BSD 2.95

$1.10 ₡497

168.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 BSD 2.93

$2.55 ₡1,149

14.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.16 BSD 15.16

$4.95 ₡2,232

206.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.37 BSD 25.37

$20.01 ₡9,020

26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.72 BSD 3.72

$2.79 ₡1,256

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 BSD 4.08

$3.53 ₡1,589

15.58%

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)

$1.76 BSD 1.76

$1.57 ₡708

12.10%

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)

$40.39 BSD 40.39

$35.11 ₡15.8K

15.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$100 BSD 100

$51.5 ₡23.2K

94.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 BSD 76.5

$71.4 ₡32.2K

7.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 BSD 14.72

$7.84 ₡3,535

87.76%

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

$1,525 BSD 1,525

$490 ₡220.7K

211.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K BSD 14.8K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

24.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 BSD 1,518

$786 ₡354.3K

93.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 BSD 692

$780 ₡351.6K

-11.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,529 BSD 4,529

$1,407 ₡634.4K

221.82%

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 New Providence: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Providence

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

New Providence

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

New Providence

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Providence

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

New Providence

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

New Providence

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

New Providence

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,518 in New Providence 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $151 in New Providence versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇸 New Providence

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:44 9:44 AM

07:44 7:44 AM

2 h behind New Providence

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

296,522

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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BSD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New Providence Nosara 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

New Providence
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

New Providence vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Providence costs about 16% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,201 per month in New Providence and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,134 in New Providence and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 16%.

Kindergarten costs $1,525 per month in New Providence and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in New Providence at $2,134. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Providence it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $2,134 in New Providence. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New Providence makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.