Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Gros Islet

For one person, living is cheaper in Gros Islet: $1,442 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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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

Gros Islet

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$1,442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Gros Islet

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,442 in Gros Islet.

Nosara $1,837
Gros Islet $1,442

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $2,177 in Gros Islet.

Nosara $2,775
Gros Islet $2,177

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,913 in Gros Islet.

Nosara $3,712
Gros Islet $2,913

Living in Nosara is roughly 27% more expensive than in Gros Islet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Gros Islet 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$7.31 EC$19.73

67.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$59.6 EC$161

1.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$9.16 EC$24.72

-17.69%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.53 EC$12.23

-4.86%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.87 EC$5.04

-8.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.89 EC$5.10

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.82 EC$7.61

14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.79 EC$10.24

18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.53 EC$6.83

-37.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.72 EC$4.64

84.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.99 EC$5.37

21.61%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.90 EC$13.22

-27.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$12.34 EC$33.33

-39.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$15.75 EC$42.52

-33.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$15.83 EC$42.73

-13.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$5.90 EC$15.94

-60.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.62 EC$4.38

-0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.24 EC$6.05

111.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.21 EC$5.96

-24.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.24 EC$6.04

66.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.16 EC$5.83

65.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$5.52 EC$14.90

-80.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.84 EC$4.96

38.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$5.89 EC$15.90

-15.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$15.08 EC$40.72

32.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$4.56 EC$12.31

-22.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.96 EC$2.58

23.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$33.9K EC$91.6K

-35.76%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$44.0K EC$118.9K

-21.34%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$242 EC$654

-61.40%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$39.58 EC$107

-11.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$55.9 EC$151

-7.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$44.44 EC$120

60.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$7.00 EC$18.91

12.00%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$18.75 EC$50.6

185.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$11.07 EC$29.90

403.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$73.5 EC$198

7.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$75.3 EC$203

4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$590 EC$1,593

33.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$396 EC$1,070

96.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$985 EC$2,658

292.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$647 EC$1,746

117.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$743 EC$2,007

17.92%

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 Gros Islet: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Gros Islet

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Gros Islet

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Gros Islet

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Gros Islet

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Gros Islet

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gros Islet

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Gros Islet

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $590 in Gros Islet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 18% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $60.0 in Gros Islet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $387 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇱🇨 Gros Islet

🕒 Local time

04:19 4:19 AM

06:19 6:19 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

21,660

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Gros Islet 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Gros Islet

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 Gros Islet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gros Islet wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gros Islet the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $590 in Gros Islet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $1,442 in Gros Islet – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,442 in Gros Islet versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gros Islet but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Gros Islet the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gros Islet delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,442 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gros Islet hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Gros Islet 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 Gros Islet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.