Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Burnaby

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,738 in Burnaby, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Burnaby
Learn more

Burnaby Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Burnaby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Burnaby

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,738 in Burnaby.

Nosara $1,839
Burnaby $2,738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,928 in Burnaby.

Nosara $2,828
Burnaby $3,928

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $5,117 in Burnaby.

Nosara $3,818
Burnaby $5,117

Living in Nosara costs roughly 33% less than in Burnaby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Burnaby 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$21.18 CA$29.94

-41.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$83.7 CA$118

-26.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.94 CA$12.64

-15.88%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.66 CA$6.59

-5.36%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.30 CA$3.26

-24.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.68 CA$2.38

-22.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$8.45 CA$11.95

-61.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.81 CA$8.21

-23.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.30 CA$3.25

-32.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.71 CA$3.83

11.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.53 CA$4.99

-28.90%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.08 CA$4.36

15.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.50 CA$19.08

-44.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$13.49 CA$19.08

-22.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$25.16 CA$35.57

-44.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.46 CA$6.30

-47.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.30 CA$1.84

23.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.52 CA$6.38

6.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.63 CA$6.54

-65.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.81 CA$3.97

35.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.47 CA$4.90

6.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.68 CA$3.79

-57.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.11 CA$2.99

26.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$13.99 CA$19.78

-62.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.46 CA$19.03

47.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.08 CA$2.94

39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.28 CA$3.22

59.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.32 CA$3.28

-51.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$79.5 CA$112

-8.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.87 CA$4.05

-25.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.50 CA$2.13

4.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$26.37 CA$37.27

-67.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.30 CA$1.84

16.92%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$27.6K CA$39.0K

-21.67%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.7K CA$26.4K

84.96%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$120 CA$170

-20.01%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$43.55 CA$61.6

-17.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$53.1 CA$75.1

0.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$29.72 CA$42.01

140.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$10.33 CA$14.61

237.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.91 CA$19.67

-43.28%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$634 CA$897

-22.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$51.7 CA$73.1

4.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$51.6 CA$73.0

7.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$102 CA$144

-23.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$77.4 CA$109

2.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,628 CA$2,302

-51.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,491 CA$2,108

-46.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,454 CA$3,469

60.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,187 CA$3,092

-35.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$6,588 CA$9,313

4.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$5,530 CA$7,817

-77.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,144 CA$4,445

-72.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.76

81.09%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Burnaby

$1.5K 54.4% 87.7% $697

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Burnaby

$425 15.5% 20.5% $72

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Burnaby

$322 11.8% 52% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Burnaby

$217 7.9% 16.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Burnaby

$127 4.6% 5.9% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Burnaby

$58 2.1% 34.1% $30

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Burnaby

$99 3.6% 13.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,628 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 264% 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 $84.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $425 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Burnaby

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

14:04 2:04 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

249,125

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Burnaby 5,560 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Burnaby

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 Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Burnaby differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $2,738 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 264% lower in Burnaby. 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: $788 in Nosara versus $1,628 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $634 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,738 in Burnaby, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. 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 Burnaby 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 49% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.