Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Andover

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,503 in Andover, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Andover outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Andover
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,503
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Andover

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 Andover actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,503 in Andover.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Andover $2,503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,471 in Andover.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Andover $3,471

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,440 in Andover.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Andover $4,440

Living in Nosara costs roughly 27% less than in Andover, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Andover 85% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Andover
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$12.71 £9.53
-2.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$39.44 £29.59
55.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$10.45 £7.84
-28.04%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$4.53 £3.40
-2.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$1.92 £1.44
-9.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$1.48 £1.11
-11.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$4.37 £3.28
-24.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$5.71 £4.28
-21.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Andover
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.70 £1.28
-8.24%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.58 £1.19
91.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$1.89 £1.42
32.80%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$4.27 £3.21
-16.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$11.96 £8.97
-37.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$8.55 £6.41
23.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$14.81 £11.11
-5.67%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$3.45 £2.59
-31.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.70 £1.28
-5.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$2.60 £1.95
84.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$3.08 £2.31
-47.73%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.75 £1.31
117.14%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$1.25 £0.94
195.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.21 £0.91
-6.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$1.66 £1.24
60.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$21.98 £16.49
-76.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$11.07 £8.30
79.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$2.68 £2.01
8.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$1.84 £1.38
97.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Andover
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$3.27 £2.45
-65.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$47.60 £35.71
52.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$4.87 £3.66
-56.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$3.22 £2.42
-51.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$41.91 £31.44
-79.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$2.09 £1.57
-27.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$35.6K £26.7K
-39.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$40.9K £30.7K
-15.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Andover
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$341 £256
-71.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$17.90 £13.43
100.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$43.97 £32.98
21.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Andover
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$43.41 £32.56
64.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$9.27 £6.95
276.59%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$14.37 £10.78
-45.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Andover
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$2,264 £1,698
-78.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$15.1K £11.3K
-21.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Andover
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$85.7 £64.3
-37.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$47.03 £35.29
17.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$91.0 £68.3
-14.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$62.4 £46.83
27.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Andover
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$1,385 £1,039
-43.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$1,277 £958
-37.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$1,912 £1,435
106.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$2,040 £1,530
-30.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Andover
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$2,943 £2,208
-70.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
4.25
102.82%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Andover: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Andover
$1.3K 60.8% $483
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Andover
$305 13.3% $47
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Andover
$234 10.6% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Andover
$403 117% $218
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Andover
$129 7.3% $8.7
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Andover
$72 17.4% $15
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Andover
$82 6.3% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,385 in Andover. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Andover pays 241% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $39.00 in Andover for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $305 per month, with Andover cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇬🇧 Andover
🕒 Local time
06:56 6:56 AM
13:56 1:56 PM
7 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
37,851
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Andover 8,740 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Andover

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 Andover: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Nosara and in Andover?
Nosara and Andover differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $2,503 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 241% lower in Andover. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Nosara and in Andover?
Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,385 in Andover. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Nosara or Andover?
All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $2,503 in Andover – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Andover?
A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 53% less than in Andover. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,503 in Andover, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Andover. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Andover?
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.
Is Nosara or Andover safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Andover are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Nosara or Andover?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Andover. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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