Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cruz Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,940 in Cruz Bay, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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

$1,837

/mo nomad

Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,940

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cruz Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,940 in Cruz Bay.

Nosara $1,837
Cruz Bay $2,940

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $4,735 in Cruz Bay.

Nosara $2,775
Cruz Bay $4,735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $6,530 in Cruz Bay.

Nosara $3,712
Cruz Bay $6,530

Living in Nosara costs roughly 38% less than in Cruz Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Cruz Bay 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$29.40 $29.40

-58.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$92.2 $92.2

-34.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$16.78 $16.78

-55.07%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$9.25 $9.25

-53.41%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.96 $2.96

-41.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$3.90 $3.90

-65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$7.96 $7.96

-59.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$9.16 $9.16

-51.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$8.23 $8.23

-80.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.93 $4.93

-27.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$15.54 $15.54

-32.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$8.57 $8.57

-72.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$25.46 $25.46

-21.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

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

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

$357 $357

-73.81%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$141 $141

-75.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$59.6 $59.6

-13.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$90.0 $90.0

-20.62%

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

$13.2K $13.2K

-10.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,799 $1,799

-56.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,523 $1,523

-48.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$3,551 $3,551

8.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$3,454 $3,454

-59.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$10.9K $10.9K

-36.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$6,136 $6,136

-85.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

72.40%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cruz Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Cruz Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Cruz Bay

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Cruz Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Cruz Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Cruz Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cruz Bay

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cruz Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $1,799 in Cruz Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cruz Bay pays 600% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $92.0 in Cruz Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $274, with Cruz Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇮 Cruz Bay

🕒 Local time

04:48 4:48 AM

06:48 6:48 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,743

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

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

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cruz Bay 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cruz Bay

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 Cruz Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Cruz Bay differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $2,940 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 600% lower in Cruz Bay. 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 $1,799 in Cruz Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $92.0 in Cruz Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $2,940 in Cruz Bay – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,940 in Cruz Bay, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Cruz Bay. 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 Cruz Bay 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 60% less than in Cruz Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.