Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Basseterre

For one person, living is cheaper in Basseterre: $1,451 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

$1,837

/mo nomad

Basseterre

🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis

$1,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Basseterre

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,451 in Basseterre, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Basseterre $1,451

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,560 in Basseterre, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Basseterre $1,560

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,668 in Basseterre, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Basseterre $1,668

Nosara costs about 27% more than Basseterre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Basseterre sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Basseterre by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$18.56 EC$50.1

-34.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$14.02 EC$37.86

-46.22%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.81 EC$10.28

13.12%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.10 EC$5.66

-18.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.23 EC$6.01

-39.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.99 EC$5.38

62.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.63 EC$9.80

23.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.51 EC$6.78

-37.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$3.60 EC$9.73

-11.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.65 EC$9.87

-33.70%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$5.58 EC$15.07

-36.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$8.98 EC$24.24

16.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.48 EC$12.10

-48.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$3.11 EC$8.39

-48.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.75 EC$10.12

-55.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.25 EC$6.09

65.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.82 EC$4.92

96.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.65 EC$1.75

292.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.84 EC$4.96

51.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.61 EC$9.74

-2.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.24 EC$6.05

-46.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$20.70 EC$55.9

-89.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$87.8 EC$237

6.39%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$39.25 EC$106

-10.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$36.75 EC$99.2

94.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.18 EC$16.68

26.86%

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

$88.1 EC$238

-39.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$131 EC$354

-39.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$702 EC$1,897

11.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$653 EC$1,764

19.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$4,927 EC$13.3K

41.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$3,925 EC$10.6K

-69.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,115 EC$3,011

-21.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

115.50%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Basseterre: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Basseterre

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Basseterre

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Basseterre

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Basseterre

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Basseterre

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Basseterre

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Basseterre

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $702 in Basseterre. 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 27% higher in Basseterre, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇳 Basseterre

🕒 Local time

03:38 3:38 AM

05:38 5:38 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

13,220 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, 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).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Basseterre 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Basseterre

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 Basseterre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,451 in Basseterre – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,177 in Basseterre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Basseterre, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $1,451 in Basseterre. That's a gap of about 27%.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Basseterre, where all-in costs run around $1,451, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Basseterre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,451 in Basseterre to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Basseterre. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.