Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kanata

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,460 in Kanata, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Kanata
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Kanata Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kanata

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,460

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kanata

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,460 in Kanata, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Kanata $2,460

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,534 in Kanata, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Kanata $3,534

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,608 in Kanata, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kanata $4,608

Nosara is about 25% cheaper than Kanata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Kanata sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Kanata by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$17.66 CA$24.97

-30.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$77.0 CA$109

-20.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.57 CA$14.94

-28.86%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.21 CA$5.96

4.75%

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

$1.74 ₡780

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.57 CA$3.64

27.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.60 CA$3.68

71.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$3.81 CA$5.38

-59.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.66 CA$3.77

13.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.82 CA$2.57

37.91%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.21 CA$5.95

-15.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.44 CA$19.00

-44.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$11.32 CA$16.00

-7.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.85 CA$12.52

57.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.35 CA$4.73

-29.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.94 CA$1.33

71.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.73 CA$3.86

75.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.85 CA$5.45

-58.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.05 CA$1.49

261.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.02 CA$2.85

82.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.39 CA$3.38

-52.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.43 CA$2.02

86.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$12.49 CA$17.66

-58.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$20.75 CA$29.33

-4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.65 CA$3.74

9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.19 CA$4.51

13.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.68 CA$3.79

-58.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$89.4 CA$126

-18.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.29 CA$1.83

21.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.15 CA$1.62

32.17%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$35.9K CA$50.7K

-39.78%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.5K CA$26.1K

86.64%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$106 CA$151

-9.58%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$44.09 CA$62.3

-18.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$41.17 CA$58.2

30.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$45.32 CA$64.1

57.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$10.02 CA$14.17

-21.26%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$14.0K CA$19.7K

-15.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$63.0 CA$89.1

-14.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$58.7 CA$83.0

-5.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$84.8 CA$120

-8.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$64.0 CA$90.5

24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,545 CA$2,184

-48.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,373 CA$1,941

-42.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,214 CA$3,130

77.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,054 CA$2,904

-30.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,171 CA$4,483

117.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$2,928 CA$4,139

-70.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.35

61.12%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kanata: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kanata

$1.4K 55.8% 72.8% $578

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kanata

$360 14.6% 2.2% $7.6

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kanata

$242 * 9.8% 14.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kanata

$192 7.8% 3.2% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kanata

$122 5% 1.4% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kanata

$65 2.7% 25.2% $22

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kanata

$107 * 4.3% 22.4% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,545 in Kanata. 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 239% higher in Kanata, 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 $77.0 in Kanata. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $360 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Kanata

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

13:04 1:04 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

90,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Kanata 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kanata

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 Kanata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kanata is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,690 in Kanata. 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.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Kanata, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Kanata at $2,460. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kanata 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, Kanata makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.