Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Alexandra, Barbados

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandra: $278 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Alexandra

🇧🇧 Barbados

$278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Alexandra

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Alexandra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,846 in Nosara versus $278 in Alexandra.

Nosara $1,846
Alexandra $278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,833 in Nosara versus $455 in Alexandra.

Nosara $2,833
Alexandra $455

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,820 in Nosara versus $633 in Alexandra.

Nosara $3,820
Alexandra $633

Living in Nosara is roughly 565% more expensive than in Alexandra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Alexandra is 80% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,578

$30.36 BBD 60.7

-59.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₡3,558

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,987

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

$1.72 ₡776

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₡603

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,506

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,049

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡739

$3.47 BBD 6.95

-52.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,427

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,080

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 ₡3,219

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,657

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,305

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,032

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡732

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 ₡2,171

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₡758

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,766

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,641

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡510

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₡2,268

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,897

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,315

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₡1,598

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡545

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₡970

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,960

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡701

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

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

$38.5K ₡17.4M

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

$95.2 ₡43.0K

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

$36.29 ₡16.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 ₡23.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₡30.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,405

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

$496 ₡224.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ₡24.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₡35.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡369.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ₡363.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,988 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₡645.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.9K

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 Nosara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Alexandra: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$806 43.7%

Alexandra

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$351 19%

Alexandra

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Alexandra

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 9.9%

Alexandra

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.5%

Alexandra

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Alexandra

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Alexandra

–

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇧 Alexandra

🕒 Local time

01:00 1:00 AM

03:00 3:00 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,382

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.23 BBD (1 BBD = 0.448 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Alexandra 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Alexandra

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

Nosara vs Alexandra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandra is about 85% cheaper overall, especially in groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,769 in Nosara and $416 in Alexandra 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 911% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,846 per month in Nosara versus $278 in Alexandra – Alexandra is about 85% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $278 in Alexandra versus $1,846 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandra but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alexandra delivers better value at $278 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandra hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Alexandra are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.