Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and New Westminster

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,526 in New Westminster, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in New Westminster
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New Westminster Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

New Westminster

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in New Westminster

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,526 in New Westminster, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
New Westminster $2,526

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,900 in New Westminster, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
New Westminster $3,900

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $5,273 in New Westminster, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
New Westminster $5,273

Nosara is about 27% cheaper than New Westminster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and New Westminster sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, New Westminster by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,547

$19.28 CA$27.41

-35.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$49.65 CA$70.6

23.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,377

$10.12 CA$14.39

-25.69%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,981

$3.47 CA$4.93

27.09%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$1.85 CA$2.63

-5.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.55 CA$2.20

-15.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,473

$5.77 CA$8.21

-43.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,007

$5.63 CA$8.00

-20.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.76 CA$2.50

-11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,357

$2.34 CA$3.32

29.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$3.45 CA$4.90

-27.25%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,605

$3.01 CA$4.28

18.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,338

$10.80 CA$15.35

-31.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,724

$15.33 CA$21.80

-31.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,274

$26.67 CA$37.92

-47.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$3.77 CA$5.37

-37.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.48 CA$2.10

8.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,155

$3.60 CA$5.12

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$3.66 CA$5.20

-56.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$2.33 CA$3.32

63.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,659

$2.21 CA$3.15

66.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.33 CA$3.31

-51.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$1.80 CA$2.57

47.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,324

$15.33 CA$21.80

-66.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,929

$10.63 CA$15.12

87.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$2.02 CA$2.87

43.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,628

$2.72 CA$3.87

33.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$2.52 CA$3.58

-55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$90.3 CA$128

-19.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡959

$2.05 CA$2.91

4.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.72 CA$2.44

-8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,828

$22.76 CA$32.35

-62.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.26 CA$1.79

20.63%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.9K CA$33.9K

-9.42%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.0K CA$27.0K

81.74%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$139 CA$197

-30.59%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$42.09 CA$59.9

-14.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$63.0 CA$89.6

-14.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$32.42 CA$46.09

120.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.27 CA$24.55

102.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,544

$11.94 CA$16.97

-33.92%

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

$494 ₡221.9K

$758 CA$1,078

-34.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,536 CA$12.1K

38.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$52.3 CA$74.3

3.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$41.77 CA$59.4

32.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$77.5 CA$110

0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$96.6 CA$137

-17.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.9K

$1,548 CA$2,201

-49.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.7K

$1,319 CA$1,876

-39.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,841 CA$4,039

38.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.4K

$2,620 CA$3,725

-45.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,810 CA$6,839

43.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.8K

$4,025 CA$5,723

-69.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.8K

$2,989 CA$4,250

-71.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.72

82.63%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for New Westminster: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

New Westminster

$1.3K 52.2% 66.1% $525

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

New Westminster

$396 15.7% 12.3% $43

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

New Westminster

$280 11.1% 32.2% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

New Westminster

$244 9.7% 31.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

New Westminster

$121 4.8% 0.5% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

New Westminster

$56 2.2% 35.6% $31

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

New Westminster

$111 4.4% 27.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,548 in New Westminster. 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 246% higher in New Westminster, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $50.0 in New Westminster. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $396 in New Westminster – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 New Westminster

🕒 Local time

18:36 6:36 PM

17:36 5:36 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

58,000

💱 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 15, 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 15, 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 New Westminster 5,560 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
New Westminster

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 New Westminster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Westminster costs about 37% 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 $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,790 in New Westminster. 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.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $758 in New Westminster. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in New Westminster, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in New Westminster at $2,526. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Westminster it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,526 in New Westminster. 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, New Westminster makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.