Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Caboolture

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Caboolture: $1,839 and $1,922 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Caboolture
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Caboolture Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Caboolture

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Caboolture

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,922 in Caboolture, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Caboolture $1,922

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,793 in Caboolture, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Caboolture $2,793

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,665 in Caboolture, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Caboolture $3,665

Nosara is about 4% cheaper than Caboolture, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nosara and Caboolture sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Caboolture by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,556

$10.68 A$15.30

15.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$48.40 A$69.3

26.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,383

$10.46 A$14.98

-28.11%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,984

$2.83 A$4.05

55.83%

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

$1.74 ₡782

$1.76 A$2.52

-1.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡589

$1.54 A$2.21

-14.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,475

$6.94 A$9.94

-52.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,010

$7.53 A$10.79

-40.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.19 A$1.71

31.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,359

$2.14 A$3.07

41.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,129

$1.96 A$2.81

28.06%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,608

$4.16 A$5.96

-14.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,344

$8.60 A$12.32

-13.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,732

$9.25 A$13.26

13.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,284

$12.24 A$17.54

14.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,055

$3.09 A$4.43

-23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡722

$2.58 A$3.70

-37.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,159

$3.42 A$4.89

40.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡726

$4.18 A$5.99

-61.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,708

$1.91 A$2.74

98.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,662

$1.91 A$2.74

93.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$2.08 A$2.97

-45.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$0.90 A$1.28

195.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,328

$29.24 A$41.88

-82.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,944

$13.88 A$19.88

43.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,304

$4.00 A$5.73

-27.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,631

$6.77 A$9.69

-46.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡506

$1.55 A$2.22

-27.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

$80.6 A$115

-9.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡961

$2.17 A$3.11

-1.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡706

$1.12 A$1.61

40.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,835

$33.69 A$48.26

-74.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡684

$1.37 A$1.96

10.95%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$24.0K A$34.3K

-9.78%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.9K A$35.6K

38.72%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$174 A$250

-44.72%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$11.90 A$17.04

201.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$49.22 A$70.5

8.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$22.38 A$32.06

219.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.39 A$24.92

100.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,550

$14.03 A$20.10

-43.76%

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

$494 ₡222.3K

$1,724 A$2,469

-71.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,154 A$5,950

185.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.3K

$33.45 A$47.91

61.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$51.7 A$74.1

7.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.1K

$98.5 A$141

-20.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$73.1 A$105

8.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.5K

$1,074 A$1,538

-26.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡357.3K

$890 A$1,275

-10.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,515 A$2,170

160.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡638.4K

$1,461 A$2,093

-2.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$5,269 A$7,548

31.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.7K

$5,593 A$8,012

-78.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.5K

$1,802 A$2,581

-52.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.69

51.49%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Caboolture: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Caboolture

$890 46.3% 12% $96

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Caboolture

$322 16.8% 8.6% $30

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Caboolture

$214 11.1% 0.9% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Caboolture

$235 12.3% 26.7% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Caboolture

$116 6% 3.8% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Caboolture

$50 2.6% 42.3% $37

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Caboolture

$95 4.9% 8.6% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,074 in Caboolture. 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 109% higher in Caboolture, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $48.00 in Caboolture. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $322 – making Caboolture the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇺 Caboolture

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

05:06 5:06 AM

16 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

29,534

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Caboolture 13,610 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Caboolture

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 Caboolture: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caboolture costs about 5% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,882 in Caboolture. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $1,724 in Caboolture. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Caboolture – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Caboolture at $1,922. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caboolture it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $1,922 in Caboolture. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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