Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ilford

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,414 in Ilford, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ilford
Learn more

Ilford Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Ilford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ilford

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,414 in Ilford, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Ilford $2,414

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,764 in Ilford, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Ilford $3,764

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $5,115 in Ilford, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Ilford $5,115

Nosara is about 24% cheaper than Ilford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Ilford sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Ilford by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$21.28 £15.97

-41.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$93.9 £70.5

-34.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.51 £7.89

-28.45%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.60 £3.45

-4.13%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.81 £2.11

-38.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.83 £1.38

-28.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.91 £5.93

-58.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$6.43 £4.82

-30.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.64 £1.23

-4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.72 £1.29

75.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.30 £1.72

9.13%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.60 £3.45

-22.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.46 £7.09

-21.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.61 £7.21

9.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$15.45 £11.59

-9.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.94 £2.21

-20.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.41 £1.06

14.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.96 £2.22

62.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.28 £2.46

-50.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.67 £1.25

127.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.77 £1.33

108.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.28 £0.96

-11.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.77 £1.33

50.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$22.20 £16.65

-76.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.88 £8.16

82.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$3.04 £2.28

-4.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.92 £2.94

-7.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$3.43 £2.57

-67.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$97.6 £73.2

-25.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.39 £4.05

-60.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.61 £1.96

-39.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$25.45 £19.09

-66.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$2.11 £1.58

-27.96%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$38.9K £29.2K

-44.51%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$40.9K £30.7K

-15.67%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$334 £250

-71.13%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$18.31 £13.73

96.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$40.86 £30.65

31.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$44.93 £33.70

59.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$17.09 £12.82

-53.83%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$2,535 £1,902

-80.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$35.1K £26.3K

-66.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$88.0 £66.0

-38.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$46.25 £34.69

19.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$93.0 £69.8

-16.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$96.2 £72.1

-17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,350 £1,013

-41.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,023 £768

-22.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,960 £2,221

33.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,099 £1,575

-32.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,983 £3,738

38.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,831 £2,874

-68.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,485 £2,614

-75.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.04

71.03%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ilford: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Ilford

$1K 42.4% 28.8% $229

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Ilford

$315 13.1% 10.5% $37

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Ilford

$328 13.6% 54.8% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Ilford

$393 16.3% 111% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Ilford

$146 6% 21.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ilford

$79 3.3% 9.5% $8.3

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Ilford

$130 5.4% 49% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,350 in Ilford. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 304% higher in Ilford, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $94.0 in Ilford. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $315 in Ilford – so Ilford wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇧 Ilford

🕒 Local time

16:46 4:46 PM

23:46 11:46 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

168,168

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Ilford 8,850 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ilford

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 Ilford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilford costs about 31% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,620 in Ilford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Ilford – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $94.0 in Ilford. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Ilford at $2,414. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ilford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,414 in Ilford. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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