Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Holetown

For one person, living is cheaper in Holetown: $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

Holetown

🇧🇧 Barbados

$355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Holetown

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

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

Nosara $1,837
Holetown $355

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $804 in Holetown, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Holetown $804

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,253 in Holetown, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Holetown $1,253

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$12.30 BBD 24.60

-0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$106 BBD 212

-43.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$13.21 BBD 26.41

-42.92%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.42 BBD 8.84

-2.49%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.46 BBD 2.91

17.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.26 BBD 2.53

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.79 BBD 3.59

81.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.02 BBD 6.04

48.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.78 BBD 3.55

-33.15%

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

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 ₡42.1K

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$30.06 BBD 60.1

16.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$79.5 BBD 159

-10.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$12.55 BBD 25.10

-37.53%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$6,149 BBD 12.3K

93.20%

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 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

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

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 Holetown: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Holetown

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Holetown

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Holetown

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Holetown

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Holetown

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Holetown

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Holetown

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $106 in Holetown. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇧 Holetown

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

01:08 1:08 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,500

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.446 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, 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).

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BBD (1 BBD = 0.446 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Holetown 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Holetown

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 Holetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $355 in Holetown – roughly 418% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $355 in Holetown. That's a gap of about 418%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $106 in Holetown. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Holetown, where all-in costs run around $355, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Holetown it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $355 in Holetown to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Holetown. 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.