Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and the Isle of Islay

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,352 on the Isle of Islay, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
113

Cost of Living Index on the Isle of Islay
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Isle of Islay Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Isle of Islay

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,352

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and on the Isle of Islay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and on the Isle of Islay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,352 on the Isle of Islay, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Isle of Islay $2,352

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,353 on the Isle of Islay, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Isle of Islay $3,353

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,354 on the Isle of Islay, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Isle of Islay $4,354

Nosara is about 22% cheaper than the Isle of Islay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Isle of Islay sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Isle of Islay by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$21.60 £16.21

-42.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$81.4 £61.1

-24.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$10.60 £7.95

-26.79%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.48 £3.36

-0.89%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.48 £1.86

-27.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.32 £0.99

-2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.83 £4.37

-44.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$6.01 £4.51

-26.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.03 £1.52

-23.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.75 £1.32

76.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.74 £2.06

-7.66%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$5.41 £4.06

-36.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$7.39 £5.54

-0.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$9.52 £7.14

7.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$15.36 £11.53

-8.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$2.50 £1.88

-8.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.20 £1.65

-25.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.82 £2.12

69.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$2.87 £2.15

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.06 £2.29

25.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.11 £1.58

77.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.86 £1.40

-41.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.43 £1.82

6.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$23.79 £17.85

-78.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$12.03 £9.03

65.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$3.26 £2.44

-14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.22 £2.41

9.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$3.50 £2.62

-65.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$98.1 £73.6

-24.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$4.75 £3.56

-54.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$3.79 £2.84

-58.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$26.58 £19.94

-67.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$2.07 £1.55

-25.12%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$38.5K £28.9K

-10.33%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$40.4K £30.3K

-4.14%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$238 £178

-60.11%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$13.09 £9.82

176.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$42.21 £31.67

25.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$43.82 £32.88

68.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$13.44 £10.08

-41.15%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,918 £1,439

-74.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$24.8K £18.6K

-52.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$100 £75.1

-45.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$57.6 £43.19

-2.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$121 £90.9

-33.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$87.1 £65.4

-10.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,272 £955

-37.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,039 £779

-24.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,126 £1,595

88.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,449 £1,087

-2.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$5,528 £4,147

27.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$3,409 £2,558

-63.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.41

59.33%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for the Isle of Islay: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Isle of Islay

$1K 44.2% 31.6% $249

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Isle of Islay

$334 14.2% 4.4% $15

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Isle of Islay

$315 13.4% 48% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Isle of Islay

$293 12.5% 59.2% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Isle of Islay

$165 7% 36.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Isle of Islay

$71 3% 21.1% $19

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Isle of Islay

$136 5.8% 53% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,272 on the Isle of Islay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $81.0 on the Isle of Islay. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $334 on the Isle of Islay – so Isle of Islay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇧 Isle of Islay

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

17:26 5:26 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,457

💱 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 23, 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 23, 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

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Between locations

Nosara Isle of Islay 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Isle of Islay

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 Isle of Islay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Isle of Islay is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,528 on the Isle of Islay. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $81.0 on the Isle of Islay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,835 in Nosara and $2,352 on the Isle of Islay. That's a gap of about 28%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than on the Isle of Islay at $2,352. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while on the Isle of Islay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Isle of Islay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.