Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Middlesex

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,391 in Middlesex, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Middlesex
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,391
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Middlesex

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,391 in Middlesex.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Middlesex $2,391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,444 in Middlesex.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Middlesex $3,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,498 in Middlesex.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Middlesex $4,498

Living in Nosara costs roughly 23% less than in Middlesex, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Middlesex 77% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Middlesex
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$19.93 £14.96
-38.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$70.1 £52.6
-12.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$10.17 £7.63
-26.06%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$3.43 £2.57
28.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$2.29 £1.71
-24.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$2.04 £1.53
-35.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$4.70 £3.52
-30.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$4.18 £3.13
6.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Middlesex
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.28 £0.96
21.88%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.42 £1.06
112.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$3.72 £2.79
-32.53%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$3.55 £2.66
0.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$7.61 £5.71
-2.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$7.22 £5.42
45.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$13.92 £10.44
0.36%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$3.27 £2.46
-28.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$0.98 £0.74
64.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$0.98 £0.74
389.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$3.70 £2.77
-56.49%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$1.71 £1.28
122.22%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$1.74 £1.31
112.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$0.99 £0.74
14.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$1.94 £1.45
37.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$22.26 £16.70
-76.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$9.35 £7.01
112.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$4.81 £3.61
-39.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$3.70 £2.78
-1.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Middlesex
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$3.51 £2.63
-68.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$97.9 £73.4
-25.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$4.26 £3.20
-49.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$2.02 £1.51
-22.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$33.38 £25.04
-74.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$2.02 £1.51
-24.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$38.2K £28.7K
-43.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$39.4K £29.6K
-12.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Middlesex
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$354 £266
-72.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$25.42 £19.07
41.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$40.33 £30.26
32.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Middlesex
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$44.97 £33.73
59.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$17.43 £13.08
-54.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Middlesex
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$792 £594
-37.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$22.3K £16.7K
-46.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Middlesex
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$109 £81.8
-50.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$54.8 £41.14
1.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$114 £85.3
-31.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$114 £85.4
-30.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Middlesex
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$1,213 £910
-35.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$1,021 £766
-22.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$2,103 £1,578
87.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$1,678 £1,259
-15.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$4,963 £3,723
39.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$3,899 £2,925
-68.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Middlesex
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
5.53
55.88%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Middlesex: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Middlesex
$1K 28.5% $226
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Middlesex
$287 18.4% $65
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Middlesex
$280 32.3% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Middlesex
$420 126% $234
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Middlesex
$176 46.7% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Middlesex
$80 8.6% $7.5
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Middlesex
$126 44.9% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,213 in Middlesex. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $70.0 in Middlesex. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $287, with Middlesex cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇬🇧 Middlesex
🕒 Local time
09:01 9:01 AM
16:01 4:01 PM
7 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
17,162
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Middlesex 8,820 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Middlesex

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 Middlesex: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Middlesex cheaper than Nosara?
Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $3,586 in Middlesex 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.
What is the rent difference between Nosara and Middlesex?
Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,213 in Middlesex. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Nosara and in Middlesex?
All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $2,391 in Middlesex – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 35% less than in Middlesex. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Nosara or in Middlesex?
At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,391 in Middlesex, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Middlesex. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Nosara or Middlesex more family-friendly?
For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Middlesex, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Nosara or Middlesex?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Middlesex are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Middlesex. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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