Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Coquitlam

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,784 in Coquitlam, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Coquitlam
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Coquitlam Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Coquitlam

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Coquitlam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,784 in Coquitlam.

Nosara $1,839
Coquitlam $2,784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,921 in Coquitlam.

Nosara $2,828
Coquitlam $3,921

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $5,058 in Coquitlam.

Nosara $3,818
Coquitlam $5,058

Living in Nosara costs roughly 34% less than in Coquitlam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Coquitlam 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$16.08 CA$22.74

-23.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$69.3 CA$97.9

-11.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.46 CA$14.78

-28.11%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.77 CA$5.34

16.98%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.13 CA$3.01

-18.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.61 CA$2.27

-18.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.67 CA$8.02

-42.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.11 CA$8.64

-26.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.44 CA$2.04

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.52 CA$3.56

19.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.69 CA$3.80

-6.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.88 CA$5.48

-7.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.59 CA$13.56

-22.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$13.46 CA$19.02

-21.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$19.57 CA$27.66

-28.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.94 CA$5.57

-40.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.38 CA$1.95

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.95 CA$5.59

21.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$4.07 CA$5.76

-60.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.57 CA$2.22

142.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.75 CA$3.89

34.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.51 CA$3.54

-54.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.04 CA$1.47

155.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$15.62 CA$22.09

-66.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.70 CA$16.54

69.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.63 CA$3.72

10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.88 CA$4.07

26.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.22 CA$3.14

-49.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$74.4 CA$105

-2.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.68 CA$3.78

-20.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.37 CA$1.94

14.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$24.47 CA$34.59

-65.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.34 CA$1.90

13.43%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$25.6K CA$36.3K

-15.73%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.6K CA$26.3K

85.88%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$81.0 CA$114

18.91%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$35.50 CA$50.2

1.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$52.5 CA$74.2

2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$20.62 CA$29.14

247.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$10.61 CA$15.00

229.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.31 CA$14.57

-23.47%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,091 CA$1,542

-54.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.4K CA$16.1K

4.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$57.2 CA$80.9

-5.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$32.93 CA$46.55

68.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$94.8 CA$134

-17.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$95.8 CA$135

-16.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,941 CA$2,745

-59.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,734 CA$2,452

-54.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$3,462 CA$4,894

13.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,582 CA$3,651

-45.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$6,099 CA$8,623

13.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$4,977 CA$7,036

-75.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,953 CA$4,175

-70.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.28

101.40%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Coquitlam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Coquitlam

$1.7K 62.3% 118% $940

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Coquitlam

$360 12.9% 2.1% $7.6

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Coquitlam

$261 9.4% 23.2% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Coquitlam

$169 6.1% 9.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Coquitlam

$126 4.5% 5.2% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Coquitlam

$41 1.5% 52.8% $46

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Coquitlam

$93 3.3% 6.5% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,941 in Coquitlam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coquitlam pays 242% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $69.0 in Coquitlam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $360 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Coquitlam

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

13:20 1:20 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

148,625

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Coquitlam 5,550 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Coquitlam

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 Coquitlam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 242% lower in Coquitlam. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,941 in Coquitlam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $2,784 in Coquitlam – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 2% less than in Coquitlam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,784 in Coquitlam, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Coquitlam. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Coquitlam, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Coquitlam are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Coquitlam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.