Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Markham

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,416 in Markham, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Markham outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Markham
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Markham Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Markham

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Markham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,416 in Markham.

Nosara $1,839
Markham $2,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,465 in Markham.

Nosara $2,828
Markham $3,465

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,514 in Markham.

Nosara $3,818
Markham $4,514

Living in Nosara costs roughly 24% less than in Markham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Markham 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$17.37 CA$24.70

-28.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$53.4 CA$76.0

14.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$10.47 CA$14.89

-28.18%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$3.81 CA$5.42

15.75%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.70 CA$2.42

2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.17 CA$1.67

11.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$3.59 CA$5.10

-8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$5.62 CA$7.99

-20.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.94 CA$2.76

-19.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$2.22 CA$3.16

36.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$1.90 CA$2.70

32.11%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$2.99 CA$4.25

19.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$11.70 CA$16.64

-10.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$6.81 CA$9.68

105.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$3.69 CA$5.25

-36.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.26 CA$1.80

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$2.33 CA$3.31

106.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$3.26 CA$4.63

-50.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$2.05 CA$2.92

85.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$1.96 CA$2.79

88.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.87 CA$4.08

-60.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$1.48 CA$2.11

79.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$13.44 CA$19.11

-61.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$14.53 CA$20.66

36.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$2.40 CA$3.41

20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$3.19 CA$4.54

13.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$3.04 CA$4.32

-63.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$89.3 CA$127

-18.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$3.31 CA$4.71

-35.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$18.60 CA$26.44

-54.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.13 CA$1.61

34.51%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$28.1K CA$40.0K

-23.14%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.1K CA$25.8K

90.44%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$125 CA$178

-23.21%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$26.20 CA$37.26

36.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$45.69 CA$65.0

17.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$42.62 CA$60.6

67.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$21.28 CA$30.26

64.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$10.19 CA$14.49

-22.57%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$870 CA$1,237

-43.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$27.5K CA$39.0K

-56.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$43.21 CA$61.4

24.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$37.22 CA$52.9

48.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$91.1 CA$130

-14.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$105 CA$149

-24.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$1,554 CA$2,210

-49.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$1,391 CA$1,978

-42.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,699 CA$3,838

45.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$2,236 CA$3,179

-36.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$5,896 CA$8,382

17.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

$5,309 CA$7,549

-76.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

$3,132 CA$4,453

-72.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.56

89.04%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Markham: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Markham

$1.4K 57.6% 75.1% $597

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Markham

$279 * 11.5% 20.9% $74

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Markham

$257 10.6% 21.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Markham

$197 8.2% 6.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Markham

$124 5.2% 3.6% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Markham

$63 2.6% 27.9% $24

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Markham

$105 * 4.3% 20.3% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,554 in Markham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 263% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $53.0 in Markham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $279 per month, with Markham cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Markham

🕒 Local time

17:26 5:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

338,503

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Markham 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Markham

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 Markham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Markham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 263% lower in Markham. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,554 in Markham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $870 in Markham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Markham pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,416 in Markham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Markham. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Markham 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.