Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Montreal

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Montreal $4,092

Nosara is about 8% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Montreal sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Montreal by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$19.31 CA$27.46

-36.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$75.5 CA$107

-20.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.63 CA$15.11

-29.07%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.93 CA$5.58

9.67%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.92 CA$2.73

-10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.48 CA$2.11

-8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$6.30 CA$8.96

-48.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$7.19 CA$10.22

-37.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.22 CA$3.16

-29.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$3.06 CA$4.35

3.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.94 CA$4.18

-17.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.53 CA$5.02

1.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$13.19 CA$18.76

-43.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$11.24 CA$15.98

-7.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$13.81 CA$19.65

-1.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.40 CA$4.84

-31.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.44 CA$2.05

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.26 CA$4.64

45.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.88 CA$4.09

-42.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.86 CA$2.64

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.82 CA$2.60

96.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.43 CA$3.45

-54.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.52 CA$2.17

67.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$11.45 CA$16.29

-56.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$10.36 CA$14.73

93.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.22 CA$3.15

25.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.82 CA$4.01

25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.58 CA$3.66

-53.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$76.9 CA$109

-6.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.25 CA$4.63

-31.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.48 CA$2.11

4.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$33.04 CA$46.99

-73.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.36 CA$1.93

15.44%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$27.4K CA$39.0K

-20.50%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$20.0K CA$28.4K

73.38%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$76.1 CA$108

22.77%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$34.68 CA$49.32

1.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$42.69 CA$60.7

20.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$28.94 CA$41.17

146.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$20.33 CA$28.91

74.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$11.21 CA$15.94

-30.06%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$505 CA$718

-3.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$16.0K CA$22.8K

-25.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$58.5 CA$83.2

-8.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$38.00 CA$54.1

46.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$92.7 CA$132

-14.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$106 CA$150

-25.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,240 CA$1,764

-36.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$986 CA$1,402

-20.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,102 CA$2,990

83.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,615 CA$2,297

-12.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$5,043 CA$7,173

38.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$3,830 CA$5,447

-68.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$2,920 CA$4,154

-69.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.46

93.27%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 26.4% $206

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 1.7% $5.9

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 39.8% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 14.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 10.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 41% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 12.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,240 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 233% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $75.0 in Montreal. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $344 in Montreal – so Montreal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

19:07 7:07 PM

21:07 9:07 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Montreal 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Montreal

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 Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 9% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $3,005 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Montreal – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $2,003 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.