Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Castries

For one person, living is cheaper in Castries: $1,413 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Castries
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Castries Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Castries

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$1,413

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Castries

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,413 in Castries, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Castries $1,413

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,371 in Castries, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Castries $2,371

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,330 in Castries, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Castries $3,330

Nosara costs about 30% more than Castries, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Castries sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Castries by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$9.42 EC$25.43

29.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$74.5 EC$201

-19.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.41 EC$22.72

-10.34%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.67 EC$9.90

17.44%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.97 EC$5.31

-12.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.01 EC$2.73

33.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.86 EC$7.72

13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.28 EC$8.86

36.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.02 EC$5.46

-22.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.85 EC$4.99

71.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.72 EC$4.65

40.70%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.51 EC$12.19

-20.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$11.29 EC$30.47

-34.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$9.08 EC$24.51

14.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$14.92 EC$40.29

-8.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$8.61 EC$23.25

-73.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.62 EC$4.38

-0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$8.09 EC$21.84

-41.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$14.83 EC$40.04

-88.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.50 EC$9.44

6.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.06 EC$5.56

73.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.20 EC$5.94

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.28 EC$3.46

99.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$9.35 EC$25.25

-47.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$10.95 EC$29.57

82.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.31 EC$6.23

20.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$5.70 EC$15.38

-38.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.08 EC$2.91

10.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$9.49 EC$25.63

-76.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.52 EC$4.11

3.29%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$26.3K EC$70.9K

-17.01%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$36.5K EC$98.6K

-5.11%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$124 EC$334

-24.50%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$89.6 EC$242

-60.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$47.85 EC$129

7.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$42.35 EC$114

68.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.68 EC$15.33

38.03%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$211 EC$570

131.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$83.9 EC$226

-36.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$50.2 EC$135

11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$111 EC$299

-28.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$111 EC$299

-28.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$450 EC$1,216

74.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$340 EC$918

129.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,184 EC$3,195

226.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$708 EC$1,912

98.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$101 EC$273

6785.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$63.4 EC$171

1793.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,122 EC$3,028

-21.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.75

11.23%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Castries: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Castries

$340 23.7% 56.4% $440

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Castries

$431 30% 23.2% $81

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Castries

$177 12.4% 15.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Castries

$261 18.2% 45.1% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Castries

$160 11.1% 32.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Castries

$54 3.7% 38.3% $33

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Castries

$14 * 1% 84.1% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $450 in Castries. 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 28% higher in Castries, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $74.0 in Castries. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $431 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇨 Castries

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

22,000 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Castries 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Castries

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 Castries: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 30% more than Castries, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,119 in Castries. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Castries, 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 $1,413 in Castries. That's a gap of about 30%.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $211 in Castries. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Castries, where all-in costs run around $1,413, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Castries it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Castries costs $1,413 versus $1,837 in Nosara. 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 Castries. 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.