Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Marsh Harbour

For one person, living is cheaper in Marsh Harbour: $494 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 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

$1,839

/mo nomad

Marsh Harbour

🇧🇸 Bahamas

$494

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Marsh Harbour

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $494 in Marsh Harbour.

Nosara $1,839
Marsh Harbour $494

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $730 in Marsh Harbour.

Nosara $2,828
Marsh Harbour $730

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $967 in Marsh Harbour.

Nosara $3,818
Marsh Harbour $967

Living in Nosara is roughly 272% more expensive than in Marsh Harbour, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Marsh Harbour is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

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

$1.74 ₡781

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$8.57 BSD 8.57

-81.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$5.32 BSD 5.32

-43.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$3.68 BSD 3.68

-31.79%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$7.13 BSD 7.13

-49.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$3.26 BSD 3.26

127.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$7.87 BSD 7.87

-70.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$7.33 BSD 7.33

-84.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.67 BSD 1.67

-8.98%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$35.46 BSD 35.46

1.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$119 BSD 119

-54.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$78.8 BSD 78.8

-9.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$1,515 BSD 1,515

-67.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Marsh Harbour: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Marsh Harbour

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Marsh Harbour

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Marsh Harbour

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Marsh Harbour

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Marsh Harbour

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Marsh Harbour

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Marsh Harbour

–

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇸 Marsh Harbour

🕒 Local time

18:13 6:13 PM

20:13 8:13 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

5,314

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bahamian Dollar BSD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 BSD = 1 USD

1 BSD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BSD, 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).

Bahamian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BSD (1 BSD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BSD (1 BSD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Marsh Harbour 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Marsh Harbour

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 Marsh Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marsh Harbour wins on cost – living expenses run 272% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Marsh Harbour the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $741 in Marsh Harbour to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $494 in Marsh Harbour – a 272% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $494 in Marsh Harbour versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Marsh Harbour but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Marsh Harbour the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Marsh Harbour delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $494 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Marsh Harbour hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Marsh Harbour 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 Marsh Harbour gentler on the wallet – expenses run 272% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.