Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lelydorp

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelydorp: $198 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 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

Lelydorp

🇸🇷 Suriname

$198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lelydorp

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $198 in Lelydorp.

Nosara $1,837
Lelydorp $198

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $403 in Lelydorp.

Nosara $2,775
Lelydorp $403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $608 in Lelydorp.

Nosara $3,712
Lelydorp $608

Living in Nosara is roughly 827% more expensive than in Lelydorp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Lelydorp is 85% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$4.91 SRD 184

148.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$34.61 SRD 1,297

73.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$6.11 SRD 229

23.40%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.28 SRD 47.84

34.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.47 SRD 17.44

187.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.05 SRD 76.9

58.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$2.91 SRD 109

53.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.22 SRD 45.86

28.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.01 SRD 37.87

213.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.21 SRD 45.46

100.00%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.76 SRD 103

29.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.10 SRD 154

154.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$7.86 SRD 295

73.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.52 SRD 57.1

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.98 SRD 36.77

279.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.97 SRD 36.52

268.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.82 SRD 30.90

210.98%

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

$1.97 SRD 73.9

41.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.52 SRD 19.67

128.85%

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

$0.89 SRD 33.33

76.40%

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

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

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

$301 SRD 11.3K

191.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-49.29%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lelydorp: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Lelydorp

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Lelydorp

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Lelydorp

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Lelydorp

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Lelydorp

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lelydorp

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Lelydorp

–

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 192% 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 $35.00 in Lelydorp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $116 per month, with Lelydorp cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇷 Lelydorp

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

19,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 SRD = 2.67 USD

100 SRD = 2.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SRD, 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).

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 37.47 SRD (100 SRD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 42.03 SRD (100 SRD = 2.38 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Lelydorp 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lelydorp

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 Lelydorp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lelydorp wins on cost – living expenses run 827% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lelydorp the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 192% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $1,837 per month in Nosara versus $198 in Lelydorp – a 827% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 201% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $198 in Lelydorp versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lelydorp but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Lelydorp the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lelydorp delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $198 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lelydorp hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Lelydorp 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 Lelydorp gentler on the wallet – expenses run 827% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.