Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Derby

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,167 in Derby, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Derby
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,167
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Derby

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $2,167 in Derby, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,837
  • Derby $2,167

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $3,327 in Derby, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,775
  • Derby $3,327

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $4,486 in Derby, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,712
  • Derby $4,486

Nosara is about 15% cheaper than Derby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Derby sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Derby by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Derby
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.22 ₡5,509
$26.91 £20.33
-54.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.2 ₡27.1K
$94.2 £71.2
-36.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.54 ₡3,399
$10.43 £7.88
-27.71%
Cappuccino
$4.31 ₡1,941
$4.99 £3.77
-13.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡773
$2.61 £1.98
-34.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₡608
$1.96 £1.48
-31.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,459
$6.44 £4.87
-49.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.48 ₡2,018
$7.27 £5.49
-38.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Derby
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡707
$1.55 £1.18
1.29%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 ₡1,429
$1.43 £1.08
121.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 ₡1,091
$2.38 £1.79
1.68%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,609
$3.79 £2.87
-5.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,349
$8.33 £6.30
-10.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.42 ₡4,697
$8.28 £6.26
25.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.66 ₡6,156
$23.21 £17.54
-41.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 ₡1,044
$5.35 £4.04
-56.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡728
$2.82 £2.13
-42.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 ₡2,138
$3.08 £2.33
53.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 ₡747
$3.66 £2.76
-54.64%
Potato (1kg)
$3.72 ₡1,679
$1.47 £1.11
153.06%
Onion (1kg)
$3.57 ₡1,611
$1.60 £1.21
123.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ₡497
$1.05 £0.79
4.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 ₡1,149
$1.36 £1.03
87.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.95 ₡2,232
$23.53 £17.78
-78.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.01 ₡9,020
$10.47 £7.91
91.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.79 ₡1,256
$3.13 £2.37
-10.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 ₡1,589
$3.55 £2.68
-0.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Derby
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 ₡537
$2.91 £2.20
-59.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.1 ₡32.5K
$90.0 £68.0
-19.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 ₡1,011
$4.38 £3.31
-48.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 ₡701
$1.66 £1.25
-6.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.86 ₡3,993
$32.34 £24.44
-72.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡708
$2.01 £1.52
-21.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₡9.8M
$38.0K £28.7K
-42.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K ₡15.6M
$39.7K £30.0K
-12.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Derby
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.5 ₡42.1K
$367 £277
-74.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.11 ₡15.8K
$19.46 £14.70
80.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.5 ₡23.2K
$40.48 £30.59
27.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Derby
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.4 ₡32.2K
$44.27 £33.45
61.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.44 ₡16.0K
$26.00 £19.65
36.31%
Cinema Ticket
$7.84 ₡3,535
$15.41 £11.64
-49.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Derby
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡220.7K
$1,808 £1,366
-72.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.4M
$20.3K £15.4K
-41.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Derby
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ₡24.1K
$113 £85.7
-52.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 ₡25.1K
$56.6 £42.78
-1.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 ₡35.7K
$84.4 £63.8
-6.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.9 ₡35.6K
$98.5 £74.5
-19.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Derby
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$786 ₡354.3K
$804 £608
-2.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$780 ₡351.6K
$720 £544
8.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,860 ₡1.7M
$1,576 £1,191
144.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 ₡634.4K
$1,345 £1,016
4.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,972 ₡3.1M
$5,789 £4,375
20.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,201 ₡541.3K
$3,100 £2,343
-61.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Derby
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$876 ₡395.0K
$3,570 £2,698
-75.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
4.88
76.64%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Derby: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$780
Derby
$720 7.7% $60
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Derby
$337 3.7% $13
Eating Out
Nosara
$209
Derby
$371 77.3% $162
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$180
Derby
$427 137% $247
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Derby
$159 32% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Derby
$75 13.8% $12
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Derby
$114 31.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $804 in Derby. 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 307% higher in Derby, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $94.0 in Derby. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $337 in Derby – so Derby wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇬🇧 Derby
🕒 Local time
22:03 10:03 PM
05:03 5:03 AM
7 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
233,700
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Derby 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Derby

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 Derby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Derby?
Derby costs about 18% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Nosara and in Derby?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $3,250 in Derby. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Nosara or Derby?
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.
How do childcare costs compare in Nosara and in Derby?
Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $1,808 in Derby. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Nosara or in Derby?
Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Derby – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Nosara or in Derby?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Derby at $2,167. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Derby it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Derby?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $2,167 in Derby. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Nosara compared to Derby?
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.
Should I move to Nosara or to Derby?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Derby makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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