Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Crooked Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,241 in Crooked Island, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. The total is higher in Crooked Island despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Crooked Island

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$2,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Crooked Island

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,241 in Crooked Island.

Nosara $1,837
Crooked Island $2,241

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $3,565 in Crooked Island.

Nosara $2,775
Crooked Island $3,565

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $4,888 in Crooked Island.

Nosara $3,712
Crooked Island $4,888

Living in Nosara costs roughly 18% less than in Crooked Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Crooked Island 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$49.87 BSD 49.87

-75.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$12.91 BSD 12.91

-41.60%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.02 BSD 4.02

7.21%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$3.99 BSD 3.99

-56.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.05 BSD 2.05

-34.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$4.94 BSD 4.94

-34.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$4.93 BSD 4.93

-9.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$7.94 BSD 7.94

-80.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$6.07 BSD 6.07

-47.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.43 BSD 3.43

-29.45%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$11.25 BSD 11.25

-68.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$13.12 BSD 13.12

-43.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$8.22 BSD 8.22

66.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$14.10 BSD 14.10

-83.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.24 BSD 1.24

282.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$12.10 BSD 12.10

-86.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.14 BSD 2.14

73.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.80 BSD 2.80

27.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.02 BSD 1.02

7.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.98 BSD 1.98

28.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$29.46 BSD 29.46

-32.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$5.03 BSD 5.03

-44.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$5.10 BSD 5.10

-30.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.99 BSD 1.99

-22.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$219 BSD 219

-57.25%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$58.8 BSD 58.8

-40.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$68.7 BSD 68.7

-25.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$79.2 BSD 79.2

-32.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$50.0 BSD 50.0

11.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$254 BSD 254

-68.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$99.4 BSD 99.4

-20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$540 BSD 540

45.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$558 BSD 558

39.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,615 BSD 1,615

139.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,584 BSD 1,584

-11.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,101 BSD 1,101

-20.41%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Crooked Island: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Crooked Island

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Crooked Island

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Crooked Island

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Crooked Island

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Crooked Island

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Crooked Island

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Crooked Island

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $540 in Crooked Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Crooked Island pays 26% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇸 Crooked Island

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

06:49 6:49 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

240

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BSD, 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).

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Crooked Island 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Crooked Island

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 Crooked Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Crooked Island differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $2,241 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Crooked Island. 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: $786 in Nosara versus $540 in Crooked Island. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Crooked Island. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $2,241 in Crooked Island – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,241 in Crooked Island, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Crooked Island. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Crooked Island 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 22% less than in Crooked Island. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.