Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kingston

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingston: $1,668 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kingston

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,668 in Kingston.

Nosara $1,837
Kingston $1,668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $2,779 in Kingston.

Nosara $2,775
Kingston $2,779

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $3,890 in Kingston.

Nosara $3,712
Kingston $3,890

Living in Nosara is roughly 10% more expensive than in Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Kingston 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$13.57 JMD 2,150

-9.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$74.2 JMD 11.8K

-18.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.95 JMD 1,261

-5.16%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$5.47 JMD 866

-21.21%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.14 JMD 180

50.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.75 JMD 118

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.26 JMD 358

43.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.13 JMD 496

43.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$4.12 JMD 654

-61.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$3.79 JMD 600

-16.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.59 JMD 251

52.20%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.56 JMD 564

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$11.22 JMD 1,778

-33.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.48 JMD 1,026

60.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$10.22 JMD 1,620

33.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$5.89 JMD 933

-60.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$3.90 JMD 619

-58.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$7.34 JMD 1,163

-35.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.06 JMD 485

-45.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.23 JMD 511

15.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.67 JMD 423

33.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$3.05 JMD 483

-63.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.51 JMD 240

68.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$9.51 JMD 1,507

-47.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.32 JMD 1,793

76.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.82 JMD 447

-1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$4.10 JMD 649

-13.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.78 JMD 123

52.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$37.32 JMD 5,914

93.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.24 JMD 196

80.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$3.18 JMD 504

-51.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$6.46 JMD 1,023

37.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.42 JMD 225

10.56%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$44.7K JMD 7.1M

-51.18%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

5.39%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$169 JMD 26.7K

-44.59%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$29.11 JMD 4,613

20.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$52.9 JMD 8,390

-2.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$62.5 JMD 9,904

14.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$17.63 JMD 2,793

101.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$13.28 JMD 2,104

-40.96%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$357 JMD 56.6K

37.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,163 JMD 1.3M

45.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$23.85 JMD 3,780

124.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$31.37 JMD 4,971

77.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$78.0 JMD 12.4K

1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$102 JMD 16.1K

-22.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$957 JMD 151.6K

-17.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$576 JMD 91.3K

35.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,139 JMD 338.9K

80.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,391 JMD 220.5K

1.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,892 JMD 458.2K

141.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,080 JMD 329.6K

-42.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$733 JMD 116.1K

19.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.45

-8.78%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Kingston

$576 34.2% 26.1% $203

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Kingston

$384 22.8% 9.9% $35

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Kingston

$223 13.2% 6.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Kingston

$251 14.9% 39.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Kingston

$106 6.3% 12.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kingston

$89 5.3% 2.3% $2

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kingston

$58 3.4% 33.7% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $957 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 20% 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 $74.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $384 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇲 Kingston

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

660,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Kingston 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kingston

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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kingston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $957 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $357 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Nosara pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,668 in Kingston versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kingston delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,668 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kingston hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Kingston 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 Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.