Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dartmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $1,993 in Dartmouth, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dartmouth outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Dartmouth
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Dartmouth Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Dartmouth

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,993

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Dartmouth

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,993 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Dartmouth $1,993

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,990 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Dartmouth $2,990

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,987 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Dartmouth $3,987

Nosara is about 8% cheaper than Dartmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nosara and Dartmouth sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Dartmouth by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$10.55 CA$15.00

17.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$58.5 CA$83.2

4.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$6.96 CA$9.89

8.05%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$3.56 CA$5.07

23.88%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$2.00 CA$2.84

-13.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.88 CA$2.68

-30.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$4.45 CA$6.33

-26.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$5.70 CA$8.10

-21.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$2.38 CA$3.38

-34.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$2.04 CA$2.91

48.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$3.31 CA$4.71

-24.17%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$3.49 CA$4.96

2.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$7.64 CA$10.86

-2.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$9.18 CA$13.05

14.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$10.37 CA$14.74

34.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$3.38 CA$4.80

-30.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.52 CA$2.16

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$4.47 CA$6.36

7.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$5.75 CA$8.17

-72.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$2.03 CA$2.88

87.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$2.11 CA$3.00

74.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.48 CA$3.53

-54.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$2.13 CA$3.02

24.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$13.95 CA$19.83

-62.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$14.17 CA$20.15

40.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$3.35 CA$4.77

-13.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$3.87 CA$5.50

-6.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.97 CA$2.80

-43.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$59.6 CA$84.7

21.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$2.76 CA$3.92

-22.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.32 CA$1.87

18.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$21.34 CA$30.34

-60.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.12 CA$1.59

35.71%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$28.0K CA$39.8K

-22.75%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.9K CA$26.8K

82.98%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$77.5 CA$110

24.33%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$41.92 CA$59.6

-14.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$63.3 CA$90.0

-15.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$35.19 CA$50.0

103.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$12.41 CA$17.64

-36.42%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$373 CA$530

32.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$13.2K CA$18.8K

-10.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$39.41 CA$56.0

36.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$33.13 CA$47.11

67.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$66.7 CA$94.8

16.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$74.6 CA$106

6.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$1,215 CA$1,727

-35.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$1,037 CA$1,475

-23.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,956 CA$2,781

101.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$1,818 CA$2,585

-21.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

$2,539 CA$3,610

-65.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.6

87.39%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dartmouth: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Dartmouth

$1K 52.1% 30.6% $243

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Dartmouth

$343 17.2% 2.8% $9.7

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Dartmouth

$197 9.9% 6.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Dartmouth

$183 9.2% 1.7% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Dartmouth

$96 4.8% 19.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dartmouth

$60 3% 31.3% $27

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Dartmouth

$77 3.9% 11.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,215 in Dartmouth. 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 194% higher in Dartmouth, 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 $58.0 in Dartmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $343 – making Dartmouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Dartmouth

🕒 Local time

17:26 5:26 PM

20:26 8:26 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

70,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Dartmouth 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Dartmouth

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 Dartmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,993 in Dartmouth – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,989 in Dartmouth. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $1,993 in Dartmouth. That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Dartmouth at $1,993. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dartmouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $1,993 in Dartmouth. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Dartmouth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.