Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Courtenay

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,133 in Courtenay, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Courtenay outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Courtenay
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Courtenay Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Courtenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Courtenay

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,133 in Courtenay, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Courtenay $2,133

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,026 in Courtenay, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Courtenay $3,026

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,919 in Courtenay, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Courtenay $3,919

Nosara is about 14% cheaper than Courtenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Courtenay sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Courtenay by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$13.75 CA$19.44

-10.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$56.6 CA$80.0

8.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.05 CA$14.20

-25.17%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.46 CA$4.89

27.46%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.02 CA$2.86

-13.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.64 CA$2.32

-20.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.70 CA$8.06

-42.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.97 CA$8.43

-25.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.27 CA$3.21

-31.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.06 CA$2.91

46.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.04 CA$2.89

23.04%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.21 CA$4.54

11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.86 CA$13.94

-24.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.06 CA$12.80

16.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$19.19 CA$27.12

-27.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.16 CA$4.47

-25.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.32 CA$1.87

21.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.29 CA$3.24

109.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.02 CA$4.26

-46.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.53 CA$3.58

50.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.09 CA$2.96

76.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.96 CA$2.77

-42.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.67 CA$2.36

59.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$14.19 CA$20.06

-63.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.45 CA$14.78

90.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.40 CA$3.40

20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.51 CA$3.54

44.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.98 CA$2.80

-43.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$42.72 CA$60.4

70.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.67 CA$3.78

-19.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.39 CA$1.96

12.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$17.48 CA$24.72

-51.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.30 CA$1.83

16.92%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$20.3K CA$28.7K

6.50%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$17.9K CA$25.3K

92.72%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$135 CA$190

-28.54%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$37.14 CA$52.5

-3.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$63.7 CA$90.0

-15.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$41.55 CA$58.7

72.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$38.86 CA$54.9

-10.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.57 CA$14.94

-25.35%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,761 CA$2,490

-71.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.8K CA$16.7K

0.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$55.8 CA$78.9

-3.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$43.80 CA$61.9

26.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$76.0 CA$107

2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$59.3 CA$83.8

34.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,238 CA$1,751

-36.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,109 CA$1,568

-28.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,010 CA$2,841

95.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,622 CA$2,293

-12.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$5,337 CA$7,545

29.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,170 CA$4,482

-72.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.87

77.00%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Courtenay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Courtenay

$1.1K 52% 39.6% $315

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Courtenay

$322 15.1% 8.5% $30

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Courtenay

$237 11.1% 11.8% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Courtenay

$236 11.1% 26.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Courtenay

$106 5% 12% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Courtenay

$63 2.9% 28.2% $25

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Courtenay

$60 2.8% 30.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,238 in Courtenay. 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 267% higher in Courtenay, 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 $57.0 in Courtenay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $322 – making Courtenay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Courtenay

🕒 Local time

15:46 3:46 PM

14:46 2:46 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

25,599

💱 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 Courtenay 5,710 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Courtenay

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 Courtenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Courtenay is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,199 in Courtenay. 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 9% cheaper in Courtenay – 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 $57.0 in Courtenay. 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 Courtenay at $2,133. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Courtenay 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, Courtenay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.