Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Guelph

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,586 in Guelph, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Guelph
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Guelph Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Guelph

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Guelph

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,586 in Guelph.

Nosara $1,837
Guelph $2,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $3,627 in Guelph.

Nosara $2,775
Guelph $3,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $4,669 in Guelph.

Nosara $3,712
Guelph $4,669

Living in Nosara costs roughly 29% less than in Guelph, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Guelph 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$21.26 CA$30.31

-42.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$70.6 CA$101

-14.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$11.25 CA$16.03

-32.98%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.40 CA$4.84

26.76%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.49 CA$2.12

15.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.35 CA$1.92

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$5.03 CA$7.16

-35.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.97 CA$8.52

-24.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.10 CA$3.00

-25.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.84 CA$4.05

11.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.76 CA$5.36

-35.64%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.86 CA$4.08

24.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$10.08 CA$14.37

-26.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$15.42 CA$21.98

-32.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$21.75 CA$31.00

-37.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.64 CA$5.19

-36.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.30 CA$1.86

23.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$4.42 CA$6.29

7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$4.50 CA$6.41

-63.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.40 CA$4.85

9.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.34 CA$3.33

52.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.91 CA$4.15

-62.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.51 CA$2.15

68.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$10.77 CA$15.36

-54.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.04 CA$15.74

81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$3.45 CA$4.92

-19.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.12 CA$4.45

13.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.23 CA$3.18

-46.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$65.5 CA$93.3

10.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.39 CA$3.41

-6.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.77 CA$2.52

-12.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$24.16 CA$34.43

-63.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.13 CA$1.61

38.94%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$28.2K CA$40.2K

-22.68%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$20.2K CA$28.7K

71.79%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$123 CA$175

-23.74%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$42.86 CA$61.1

-18.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$55.1 CA$78.6

-6.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$54.7 CA$77.9

30.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$14.12 CA$20.13

150.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$10.42 CA$14.85

-24.76%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$812 CA$1,158

-39.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$16.6K CA$23.7K

-28.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$61.8 CA$88.0

-13.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$36.02 CA$51.3

54.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$85.7 CA$122

-7.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$123 CA$176

-36.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,453 CA$2,072

-45.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,378 CA$1,964

-43.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,018 CA$2,876

91.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,934 CA$2,757

-27.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$4,827 CA$6,881

44.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$4,691 CA$6,686

-74.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$3,147 CA$4,486

-72.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.99

72.75%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Guelph: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Guelph

$1.4K 53.1% 76.7% $598

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Guelph

$405 15.6% 15.9% $55

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Guelph

$293 11.3% 39.9% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Guelph

$221 8.5% 22.5% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Guelph

$138 5.3% 14.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Guelph

$76 2.9% 13.3% $12

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Guelph

$86 3.3% 1.4% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $1,453 in Guelph. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guelph pays 259% 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 $71.0 in Guelph for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $405 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Guelph

🕒 Local time

22:58 10:58 PM

00:58 12:58 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

131,794

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Guelph 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Guelph

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 Guelph: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 259% lower in Guelph. 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: $786 in Nosara versus $1,453 in Guelph. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Guelph. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $71.0 in Guelph. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,586 in Guelph, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Guelph. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Nosara and Guelph 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Guelph. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.