Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Charlotte Amalie

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,340 in Charlotte Amalie, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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

$1,839

/mo nomad

Charlotte Amalie

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Charlotte Amalie

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,340 in Charlotte Amalie, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Charlotte Amalie $2,340

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $4,152 in Charlotte Amalie, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Charlotte Amalie $4,152

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $5,964 in Charlotte Amalie, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Charlotte Amalie $5,964

Nosara is about 21% cheaper than Charlotte Amalie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Charlotte Amalie sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Charlotte Amalie by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$25.03 $25.03

-50.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$122 $122

-49.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$12.92 $12.92

-41.80%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$7.37 $7.37

-40.16%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.95 $2.95

-41.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.55 $2.55

-48.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.66 $5.66

-42.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.14 $7.14

-37.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.72 $2.72

-42.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$8.91 $8.91

-66.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$7.19 $7.19

-50.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.91 $4.91

5.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$20.12 $20.12

-1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$7.19 $7.19

-49.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$6.09 $6.09

-81.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$19.69 $19.69

-89.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.29 $1.29

17.83%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$45.6K $45.6K

-52.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$48.6K $48.6K

-28.95%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$292 $292

-67.01%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$59.0 $59.0

-39.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$98.9 $98.9

-45.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$197 $197

-63.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.12 $12.12

-34.90%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$88.6 $88.6

-12.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,225 $1,225

-35.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$993 $993

-20.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$3,538 $3,538

11.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,975 $2,975

-52.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Charlotte Amalie: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Charlotte Amalie

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,225 in Charlotte Amalie. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $122 in Charlotte Amalie. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $200 in Charlotte Amalie – so Charlotte Amalie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇮 Charlotte Amalie

🕒 Local time

17:45 5:45 PM

19:45 7:45 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

14,477 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Charlotte Amalie 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Charlotte Amalie

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 Charlotte Amalie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Charlotte Amalie is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,510 in Charlotte Amalie. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 76% cheaper in Charlotte Amalie – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $122 in Charlotte Amalie. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Charlotte Amalie at $2,340. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charlotte Amalie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Charlotte Amalie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.