Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Green Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Green Island: $1,003 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Green Island
Learn more

Green Island Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Green Island

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Green Island

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $1,003 in Green Island.

Nosara $1,835
Green Island $1,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $1,656 in Green Island.

Nosara $2,825
Green Island $1,656

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $2,308 in Green Island.

Nosara $3,814
Green Island $2,308

Living in Nosara is roughly 83% more expensive than in Green Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 35% above, Green Island is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$13.40 JMD 2,117

-7.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$73.9 JMD 11.7K

-16.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$8.05 JMD 1,271

-3.60%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.34 JMD 843

-16.85%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.14 JMD 180

57.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.68 JMD 108

89.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$2.19 JMD 346

47.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.20 JMD 505

38.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$4.10 JMD 647

-62.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.81 JMD 603

-19.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.61 JMD 255

57.14%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.50 JMD 554

-1.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$11.48 JMD 1,814

-36.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$6.12 JMD 967

67.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$10.14 JMD 1,603

39.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.96 JMD 942

-61.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$3.83 JMD 604

-57.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$7.34 JMD 1,160

-34.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$2.95 JMD 466

-44.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.26 JMD 515

18.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.66 JMD 421

40.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.98 JMD 472

-63.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.46 JMD 230

77.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$9.17 JMD 1,449

-44.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$11.48 JMD 1,813

73.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.92 JMD 462

-4.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.88 JMD 613

-9.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.23 JMD 194

76.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$3.08 JMD 486

-49.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$6.24 JMD 985

38.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.39 JMD 220

11.51%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$44.6K JMD 7.1M

-22.62%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$32.5K JMD 5.1M

19.27%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$170 JMD 26.9K

-44.31%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$29.69 JMD 4,690

21.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$52.2 JMD 8,251

1.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$13.42 JMD 2,121

-41.06%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$360 JMD 56.8K

36.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,332 JMD 1.3M

42.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$23.80 JMD 3,761

130.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$31.64 JMD 5,000

76.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$77.9 JMD 12.3K

3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$102 JMD 16.1K

-23.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.45

-8.78%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Green Island: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Green Island

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Green Island

$382 38% 9.2% $32

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Green Island

$220 21.9% 3.4% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Green Island

$252 25.1% 37% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Green Island

$106 10.6% 12.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Green Island

$27 * 2.7% 70% $63

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Green Island

$17 * 1.7% 81.3% $72

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $74.0 in Green Island for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $382 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇲 Green Island

🕒 Local time

13:23 1:23 PM

14:23 2:23 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,546

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Green Island 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Green Island

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 Green Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Green Island differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,835 vs $1,003 including rent). Green Island is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $1,505 in Green Island to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $1,003 in Green Island – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,003 in Green Island versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Green Island but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Green Island 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 Green Island 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 Green Island gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.