Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dumfries

For one person, living is cheaper in Dumfries: $1,741 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Dumfries
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Dumfries Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Dumfries

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Dumfries

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,741 in Dumfries.

Nosara $1,839
Dumfries $1,741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,685 in Dumfries.

Nosara $2,828
Dumfries $2,685

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,629 in Dumfries.

Nosara $3,818
Dumfries $3,629

Living in Nosara is roughly 6% more expensive than in Dumfries, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Dumfries 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$14.46 £10.85

-14.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$78.2 £58.7

-21.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.04 £6.03

-6.47%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.37 £3.28

0.92%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.49 £1.87

-30.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.35 £1.02

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.65 £4.24

-41.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.98 £4.49

-25.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.51 £1.13

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.75 £1.31

72.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.78 £2.08

-9.71%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.17 £3.13

-14.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$7.62 £5.72

-2.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.37 £7.03

12.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$15.35 £11.52

-8.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.36 £1.77

-0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.22 £1.66

-27.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.36 £1.77

103.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.77 £2.08

-41.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.16 £2.37

20.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.03 £1.52

81.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.64 £1.23

-31.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.94 £1.45

37.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$23.25 £17.44

-77.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$12.03 £9.03

65.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.21 £2.41

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.18 £2.39

14.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$4.17 £3.13

-73.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$95.5 £71.7

-23.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.62 £3.46

-53.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.92 £0.69

70.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$12.05 £9.04

-29.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.83 £1.37

-16.94%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.6K £28.2K

-42.47%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$39.8K £29.9K

-13.37%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$236 £177

-59.19%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$23.09 £17.32

55.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$41.52 £31.15

29.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$49.30 £36.98

45.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$26.14 £19.61

33.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.37 £10.03

-40.99%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,920 £1,440

-74.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$22.2K £16.7K

-46.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$80.4 £60.3

-32.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$53.7 £40.26

3.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$120 £90.1

-35.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$88.7 £66.6

-10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$624 £468

26.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$527 £395

50.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$993 £745

296.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$929 £697

52.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$5,053 £3,791

36.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,802 £2,852

-67.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,393 £2,545

-74.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.41

59.33%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dumfries: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Dumfries

$527 30.3% 33.7% $267

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Dumfries

$314 18.1% 10.8% $38

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Dumfries

$248 14.2% 17% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Dumfries

$301 17.3% 61.8% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Dumfries

$154 8.9% 28.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Dumfries

$76 4.4% 13% $11

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Dumfries

$121 7% 39.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $624 in Dumfries. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dumfries pays 293% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $78.0 in Dumfries. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $314, with Dumfries cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇧 Dumfries

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

18:04 6:04 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

39,080

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, 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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Dumfries 8,590 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Dumfries

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 Dumfries: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dumfries is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 293% lower in Dumfries. 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: $788 in Nosara versus $624 in Dumfries. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dumfries – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,741 in Dumfries – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,741 in Dumfries versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dumfries but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Dumfries the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dumfries is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Dumfries 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 Dumfries gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.