Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Frederiksted

For one person, living is cheaper in Frederiksted: $355 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 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

Frederiksted

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Frederiksted

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $355 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Frederiksted $355

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $745 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Frederiksted $745

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,136 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Frederiksted $1,136

Nosara costs about 418% more than Frederiksted, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Frederiksted is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,498

$30.02 $30.02

-59.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$79.4 $79.4

-24.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,391

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,937

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

$1.72 ₡772

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡606

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,456

$7.17 $7.17

-54.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,014

$8.04 $8.04

-44.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡705

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,426

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,089

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,342

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,687

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,143

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,042

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡726

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,133

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡746

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,675

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,608

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡496

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,147

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,227

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,001

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,253

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,586

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡536

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,009

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡699

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,985

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡706

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 ₡42.0K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.1K

$60.8 $60.8

17.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,528

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

$490 ₡220.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

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 ₡35.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡353.6K

$1,343 $1,343

-41.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡350.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡633.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡540.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡394.2K

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 Frederiksted: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Frederiksted

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Frederiksted

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Frederiksted

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Frederiksted

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Frederiksted

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Frederiksted

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Frederiksted

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,343 in Frederiksted. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $79.0 in Frederiksted. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇮 Frederiksted

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

528

💱 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Frederiksted 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Frederiksted

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 Frederiksted: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 418%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $532 in Frederiksted. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Frederiksted, 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 $1,837 in Nosara and $355 in Frederiksted. That's a gap of about 418%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $79.0 in Frederiksted. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Frederiksted, where all-in costs run around $355, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Frederiksted it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Frederiksted – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Frederiksted. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.