Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Northam and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,498 in Northam, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Northam
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Northam Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Northam

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,498

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,498 in Northam versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Northam $2,498
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,618 in Northam versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Northam $3,618
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,737 in Northam versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Northam $4,737
Nosara $3,814

Living in Northam is roughly 36% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Northam 84% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 A$28.37

$12.34 ₡5,584

61.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 A$121

$61.3 ₡27.7K

38.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 A$15.00

$7.76 ₡3,512

35.95%

Cappuccino

$4.48 A$6.36

$4.44 ₡2,009

0.90%

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

$2.84 A$4.03

$1.79 ₡810

58.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.25

$1.29 ₡585

77.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 A$11.79

$3.24 ₡1,464

156.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 A$11.51

$4.43 ₡2,003

82.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.48

$1.55 ₡702

12.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.66

$3.08 ₡1,392

-16.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.82

$2.53 ₡1,143

-21.74%

Eggs

$4.48 A$6.36

$3.45 ₡1,560

29.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 A$9.05

$7.32 ₡3,313

-12.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$10.24 ₡4,635

-10.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 A$20.01

$14.10 ₡6,382

-0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.88

$2.29 ₡1,036

19.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.62

$1.64 ₡744

98.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.89

$4.79 ₡2,168

-28.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 A$6.99

$1.64 ₡742

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.11

$3.85 ₡1,743

-24.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.81

$3.75 ₡1,696

-47.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.20

$1.09 ₡492

106.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 A$1.04

$2.59 ₡1,170

-71.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.37 A$58.8

$5.12 ₡2,315

708.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.49 A$4.96

$19.92 ₡9,010

-82.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.40 A$6.25

$2.80 ₡1,266

57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 A$4.99

$3.52 ₡1,594

-0.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 A$4.15

$1.22 ₡554

139.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.6 A$114

$73.9 ₡33.4K

9.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.02

$2.17 ₡982

62.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$1.56 ₡704

-6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.14 A$58.5

$8.67 ₡3,921

374.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.91

$1.55 ₡703

-12.90%

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

$26.9K A$38.2K

$34.5K ₡15.6M

-22.28%

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

$29.5K A$41.9K

$38.7K ₡17.5M

-23.97%

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

$196 A$278

$94.8 ₡42.9K

106.54%

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

$24.09 A$34.24

$36.15 ₡16.4K

-33.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 A$91.4

$53.1 ₡24.0K

21.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 A$80.2

$73.8 ₡33.4K

-23.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.81 A$25.31

$35.63 ₡16.1K

-50.01%

Cinema Ticket

$17.30 A$24.59

$7.91 ₡3,579

118.71%

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

$2,328 A$3,307

$490 ₡221.8K

374.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K A$33.0K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

95.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 A$110

$54.8 ₡24.8K

41.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.3 A$94.2

$55.9 ₡25.3K

18.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$174

$80.4 ₡36.4K

52.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 A$229

$77.9 ₡35.2K

106.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$1,976

$801 ₡362.3K

73.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 A$1,691

$790 ₡357.2K

50.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,173 A$3,088

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-45.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 A$2,533

$1,409 ₡637.6K

26.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,780 A$8,213

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-18.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,889 A$6,947

$1,236 ₡559.2K

295.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡401.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

8.62

-31.44%

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

Last update for Northam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Northam

$1.2K 47.6%

Nosara

$790 43% 33.7% $401

Eating Out

Northam

$323 12.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 34.2% $111

Groceries & Markets

Northam

$314 12.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 11.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Northam

$284 11.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 35.3% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Northam

$192 7.7%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 37% $71

Getting Around

Northam

$103 4.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 13.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Northam

$91 3.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 1.6% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,391 in Northam and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Northam vs $61 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $314 vs $350, with Northam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Northam

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

17:53 5:53 PM

14 h behind Northam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 452 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 507 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Northam Nosara 16,680 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Northam
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

Northam vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Northam. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,747 in Northam and $2,753 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: $1,391 in Northam versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61 versus $85 in Northam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,498 per month in Northam versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Northam 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.