Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Barbados

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Barbados: $1,837 and $1,862 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Barbados
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Barbados Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Barbados

🇧🇧 Barbados

$1,862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Barbados

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,862 in Barbados.

Nosara $1,837
Barbados $1,862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $4,060 in Barbados.

Nosara $2,775
Barbados $4,060

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $6,257 in Barbados.

Nosara $3,712
Barbados $6,257

Living in Nosara costs roughly 1% less than in Barbados, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Barbados 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$25.31 BBD 50.6

-51.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$113 BBD 227

-46.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$12.63 BBD 25.26

-40.30%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.53 BBD 9.07

-4.86%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.13 BBD 4.26

-19.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.70 BBD 3.40

-20.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.04 BBD 6.07

6.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.88 BBD 7.77

15.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$3.65 BBD 7.29

-56.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.70 BBD 5.39

17.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$4.08 BBD 8.16

-40.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$6.07 BBD 12.14

-41.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$6.65 BBD 13.29

11.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$10.15 BBD 20.30

2.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$11.16 BBD 22.32

22.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.98 BBD 9.97

-53.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$4.34 BBD 8.68

-62.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$5.52 BBD 11.05

-14.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$5.75 BBD 11.51

-71.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$6.70 BBD 13.40

-44.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$4.93 BBD 9.86

-27.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.78 BBD 5.55

-60.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$2.62 BBD 5.24

-2.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$6.80 BBD 13.61

-27.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$16.18 BBD 32.37

23.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.77 BBD 3.54

57.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.01 BBD 6.02

17.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.72 BBD 3.43

-30.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$5.10 BBD 10.20

-56.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$3.46 BBD 6.92

-55.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$2.09 BBD 4.18

-24.88%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$50.8K BBD 101.6K

-57.07%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$40.2K BBD 80.3K

-13.77%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$99.5 BBD 199

-6.06%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$48.94 BBD 97.9

-28.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$87.3 BBD 175

-41.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$76.1 BBD 152

-6.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.64 BBD 17.28

-9.26%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$46.50 BBD 93.0

15.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$20.34 BBD 40.67

174.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$60.2 BBD 120

31.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$664 BBD 1,327

18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$680 BBD 1,359

14.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,822 BBD 3,644

111.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$3,402 BBD 6,804

-58.64%

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

$1,308 BBD 2,616

-33.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-21.64%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Barbados: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Barbados

$680 36.6% 12.9% $100

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Barbados

$430 23.1% 23% $80

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Barbados

$333 17.9% 59% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Barbados

$236 12.7% 30.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Barbados

$57 * 3.1% 52.5% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Barbados

$93 5% 7.3% $6.3

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Barbados

$29 * 1.6% 66.3% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $664 in Barbados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barbados pays 49% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $113 in Barbados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $430 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇧 Barbados

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

06:32 6:32 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

623

💱 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 = 0.446 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BBD (1 BBD = 0.446 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Barbados 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Barbados

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 Barbados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Barbados differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $1,862 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Barbados. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $664 in Barbados. 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 $60.0 versus $113 in Barbados. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,862 in Barbados – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,862 in Barbados, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Barbados. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Nosara and Barbados are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Barbados. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.