Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cambridge Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,280 in Cambridge Bay, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge Bay
Learn more

Cambridge Bay Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Cambridge Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,280

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cambridge Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Nosara versus $2,280 in Cambridge Bay.

Nosara $1,844
Cambridge Bay $2,280

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,817 in Nosara versus $3,269 in Cambridge Bay.

Nosara $2,817
Cambridge Bay $3,269

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,790 in Nosara versus $4,258 in Cambridge Bay.

Nosara $3,790
Cambridge Bay $4,258

Living in Nosara costs roughly 19% less than in Cambridge Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Cambridge Bay 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,568

$22.30 CA$31.26

-44.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$63.4 CA$88.9

-4.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$10.54 CA$14.77

-25.90%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$3.79 CA$5.31

15.30%

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

$1.78 ₡800

$2.08 CA$2.92

-14.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.62 CA$2.27

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$5.15 CA$7.22

-34.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,939

$5.60 CA$7.85

-23.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$2.12 CA$2.98

-26.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,425

$2.48 CA$3.47

27.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,130

$3.51 CA$4.93

-28.49%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.42 CA$4.80

3.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,313

$10.04 CA$14.07

-26.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,703

$11.39 CA$15.97

-8.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,255

$14.79 CA$20.73

-5.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$3.89 CA$5.45

-41.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.37 CA$1.91

13.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$3.61 CA$5.06

30.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$3.93 CA$5.50

-58.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,746

$2.41 CA$3.38

61.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$2.26 CA$3.17

67.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$2.39 CA$3.34

-55.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$1.58 CA$2.21

65.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$14.17 CA$19.87

-63.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,143

$12.93 CA$18.12

57.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$2.80 CA$3.92

3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$3.19 CA$4.47

15.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$2.35 CA$3.29

-44.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$62.7 CA$87.9

16.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$2.87 CA$4.02

-23.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡829

$1.48 CA$2.08

24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$23.95 CA$33.57

-67.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.18 CA$1.65

32.20%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$28.1K CA$39.4K

18.77%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$21.0K CA$29.4K

81.47%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$140 CA$196

-31.47%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$38.56 CA$54.1

-8.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$54.0 CA$75.6

-0.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$37.08 CA$52.0

81.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

$18.53 CA$25.97

91.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$10.51 CA$14.73

-26.55%

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

$496 ₡222.8K

$644 CA$903

-23.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$13.3K CA$18.6K

-10.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$54.3 CA$76.1

0.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$38.98 CA$54.6

41.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$86.4 CA$121

-7.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$102 CA$143

-23.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$1,301 CA$1,824

-37.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.7K

$1,120 CA$1,570

-28.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$1,968 CA$2,758

97.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.6K

$1,647 CA$2,308

-15.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

$4,314 CA$6,047

61.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.6K

$3,537 CA$4,958

-65.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.68

84.19%

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

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Last update for Cambridge Bay: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Cambridge Bay

$1.1K 49.1% 40% $320

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Cambridge Bay

$353 15.5% 0.2% $0.8

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Cambridge Bay

$307 13.5% 44.2% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Cambridge Bay

$232 10.2% 25.7% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Cambridge Bay

$127 5.6% 5.3% $6.3

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Cambridge Bay

$82 3.6% 8.4% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Cambridge Bay

$58 2.6% 29.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $817 in Nosara and $1,301 in Cambridge Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Nosara vs $63 in Cambridge Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $353 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Cambridge Bay

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

01:21 1:21 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,800

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cambridge Bay 6,720 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cambridge Bay

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 Cambridge Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,844 in Nosara and $2,280 in Cambridge Bay, so Nosara is about 19% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,765 in Nosara and $3,420 in Cambridge Bay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $817 in Nosara versus $1,301 in Cambridge Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cambridge Bay runs roughly 14% less than in Nosara. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,844 per month in Nosara versus $2,280 in Cambridge Bay – Nosara is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.