Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Westminster and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,526 in New Westminster, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in New Westminster
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New Westminster Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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New Westminster

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,526

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,526 per month in New Westminster vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

New Westminster $2,526
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,900 per month in New Westminster vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

New Westminster $3,900
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,273 per month in New Westminster vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

New Westminster $5,273
Nosara $3,818

New Westminster costs about 37% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New Westminster and Nosara sit above the global median – New Westminster by 87%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.28 CA$27.41

$12.35 ₡5,547

56.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.65 CA$70.6

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-18.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 CA$14.39

$7.52 ₡3,377

34.57%

Cappuccino

$3.47 CA$4.93

$4.41 ₡1,981

-21.32%

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

$1.85 CA$2.63

$1.74 ₡781

6.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.20

$1.31 ₡588

18.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 CA$8.21

$3.28 ₡1,473

75.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 CA$8.00

$4.47 ₡2,007

25.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 CA$2.50

$1.56 ₡702

12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 CA$3.32

$3.02 ₡1,357

-22.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 CA$4.90

$2.51 ₡1,127

37.45%

Eggs

$3.01 CA$4.28

$3.57 ₡1,605

-15.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.80 CA$15.35

$7.43 ₡3,338

45.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.33 CA$21.80

$10.52 ₡4,724

45.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.67 CA$37.92

$13.97 ₡6,274

90.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.37

$2.35 ₡1,054

60.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.10

$1.61 ₡721

-8.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.12

$4.80 ₡2,155

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.20

$1.61 ₡725

127.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 CA$3.32

$3.80 ₡1,706

-38.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CA$3.15

$3.69 ₡1,659

-40.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CA$3.31

$1.13 ₡507

106.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.57

$2.66 ₡1,193

-32.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.33 CA$21.80

$5.18 ₡2,324

195.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 CA$15.12

$19.88 ₡8,929

-46.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 CA$2.87

$2.90 ₡1,302

-30.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 CA$3.87

$3.63 ₡1,628

-25.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 CA$3.58

$1.12 ₡505

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.3 CA$128

$72.6 ₡32.6K

24.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 CA$2.91

$2.14 ₡959

-4.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 CA$2.44

$1.57 ₡704

9.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.76 CA$32.35

$8.52 ₡3,828

167.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$1.52 ₡683

-17.11%

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

$23.9K CA$33.9K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

10.40%

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

$19.0K CA$27.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-44.98%

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

$139 CA$197

$96.3 ₡43.2K

44.06%

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

$42.09 CA$59.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

17.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 CA$89.6

$53.6 ₡24.1K

17.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.42 CA$46.09

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-54.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.27 CA$24.55

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-50.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 CA$16.97

$7.89 ₡3,544

51.33%

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

$758 CA$1,078

$494 ₡221.9K

53.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,536 CA$12.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-28.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 CA$74.3

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 CA$59.4

$55.4 ₡24.9K

-24.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 CA$110

$77.9 ₡35.0K

-0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 CA$137

$79.6 ₡35.8K

21.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 CA$2,201

$788 ₡353.9K

96.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 CA$1,876

$794 ₡356.7K

66.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,841 CA$4,039

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-27.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,620 CA$3,725

$1,419 ₡637.4K

84.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,810 CA$6,839

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-30.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,025 CA$5,723

$1,224 ₡549.8K

228.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,989 CA$4,250

$864 ₡387.8K

246.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

8.62

-45.24%

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

Last update for New Westminster: 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

New Westminster

$1.3K 52.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 39.8% $525

Groceries & Markets

New Westminster

$396 15.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 10.9% $43

Eating Out

New Westminster

$280 11.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 24.3% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Westminster

$244 9.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 23.8% $58

Clothing & Footwear

New Westminster

$121 4.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 0.5% $0.6

Getting Around

New Westminster

$111 4.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 21.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

New Westminster

$56 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 55.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,548 in New Westminster versus $788 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 246% higher in New Westminster, 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 $50.0 in New Westminster versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $396 in New Westminster vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 New Westminster

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

17:58 5:58 PM

1 h ahead of New Westminster

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New Westminster Nosara 5,560 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

New Westminster costs about 37% 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 $3,790 per month in New Westminster and $2,758 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.

Kindergarten costs $758 per month in New Westminster and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in New Westminster, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in New Westminster at $2,526. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Westminster it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,526 in New Westminster. 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 Westminster makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.