Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chatham

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,956 in Chatham, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Chatham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,956
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Chatham

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,956 in Chatham, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Chatham $2,956

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $4,000 in Chatham, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Chatham $4,000

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $5,044 in Chatham, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Chatham $5,044

Nosara is about 38% cheaper than Chatham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nosara and Chatham sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Chatham by 119%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Chatham
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$13.44 £10.08
-8.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$93.5 £70.2
-34.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$9.77 £7.33
-23.03%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$3.58 £2.69
23.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$2.95 £2.22
-41.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$1.60 £1.20
-18.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$6.26 £4.70
-47.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$6.63 £4.97
-32.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Chatham
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.87 £1.40
-16.58%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$2.05 £1.54
47.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$2.13 £1.60
17.84%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$3.90 £2.93
-8.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$10.54 £7.90
-29.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$9.20 £6.90
14.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$15.27 £11.46
-8.51%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$2.93 £2.20
-19.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.95 £1.46
-17.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$2.61 £1.96
83.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$3.60 £2.70
-55.28%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.97 £1.48
92.89%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$1.88 £1.41
96.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$1.18 £0.88
-4.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$1.63 £1.22
63.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$21.41 £16.06
-75.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$11.05 £8.29
79.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$3.03 £2.27
-4.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$2.40 £1.80
51.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Chatham
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$4.02 £3.02
-72.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$112 £84.3
-35.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$4.88 £3.66
-56.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$2.72 £2.04
-42.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$19.84 £14.88
-57.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.97 £1.48
-22.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$38.6K £29.0K
-44.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$36.7K £27.5K
-5.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Chatham
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$279 £209
-65.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$16.97 £12.73
111.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$26.03 £19.53
105.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Chatham
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$113 £85.1
-36.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$9.15 £6.87
281.53%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$17.64 £13.24
-55.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Chatham
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$2,046 £1,535
-75.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$30.6K £22.9K
-61.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Chatham
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$90.0 £67.5
-40.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$45.39 £34.06
22.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$102 £76.8
-23.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$89.1 £66.8
-10.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Chatham
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$2,044 £1,534
-61.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$1,632 £1,224
-51.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$2,470 £1,853
59.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$2,092 £1,569
-32.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$7,902 £5,928
-12.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$7,319 £5,491
-83.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Chatham
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$2,938 £2,204
-70.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
5.12
68.36%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chatham: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Chatham
$1.6K 105% $837
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Chatham
$318 9.9% $35
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Chatham
$243 14.5% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Chatham
$322 73.1% $136
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Chatham
$147 22.4% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Chatham
$149 70.3% $61
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Chatham
$147 68.6% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $2,044 in Chatham. 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 240% higher in Chatham, 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 $94.0 in Chatham. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $318 in Chatham – so Chatham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇬🇧 Chatham
🕒 Local time
06:13 6:13 AM
13:13 1:13 PM
7 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
76,792
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Chatham 8,880 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Chatham

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 Chatham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Chatham?
Chatham costs about 61% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Nosara and in Chatham?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $4,434 in Chatham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Nosara or Chatham?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Nosara compared to Chatham?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $2,956 in Chatham. That's a gap of about 61%.
How expensive is transport in Nosara compared to Chatham?
Public transport costs about 55% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Nosara or in Chatham?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Chatham at $2,956. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chatham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Chatham?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,956 in Chatham. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Nosara compared to Chatham?
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.
Should I move to Nosara or to Chatham?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chatham makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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