Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Northam

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,498 in Northam, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Northam
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Northam Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Northam

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Northam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,498 in Northam.

Nosara $1,835
Northam $2,498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $3,618 in Northam.

Nosara $2,825
Northam $3,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $4,737 in Northam.

Nosara $3,814
Northam $4,737

Living in Nosara costs roughly 27% less than in Northam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Northam 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,584

$19.97 A$28.40

-38.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.7K

$85.1 A$121

-27.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,512

$10.55 A$15.01

-26.45%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡2,009

$4.48 A$6.37

-0.89%

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

$1.79 ₡810

$2.84 A$4.04

-36.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡585

$2.29 A$3.26

-43.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,464

$8.30 A$11.80

-60.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡2,003

$8.10 A$11.52

-45.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡702

$1.74 A$2.48

-10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,392

$2.58 A$3.67

19.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,143

$1.98 A$2.82

27.78%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,560

$4.48 A$6.37

-22.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,313

$6.37 A$9.06

14.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,635

$9.12 A$12.98

12.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,382

$14.08 A$20.02

0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,036

$2.73 A$3.88

-16.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡744

$3.25 A$4.62

-49.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,168

$3.44 A$4.90

39.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡742

$4.92 A$6.99

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,743

$2.89 A$4.12

33.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,696

$1.97 A$2.81

90.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$2.25 A$3.20

-51.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,170

$0.73 A$1.04

254.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,315

$41.37 A$58.8

-87.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡9,010

$3.49 A$4.97

470.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,266

$4.40 A$6.25

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,594

$3.51 A$5.00

0.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡554

$2.92 A$4.16

-58.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.4K

$80.6 A$115

-8.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡982

$3.53 A$5.02

-38.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡704

$1.46 A$2.07

6.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,921

$41.14 A$58.5

-78.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡703

$1.35 A$1.91

14.81%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$26.9K A$38.2K

28.67%

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

$38.7K ₡17.5M

$29.5K A$41.9K

31.52%

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

$94.8 ₡42.9K

$196 A$279

-51.58%

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

$36.15 ₡16.4K

$24.09 A$34.27

50.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡24.0K

$64.3 A$91.5

-17.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.4K

$56.5 A$80.3

30.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.1K

$17.81 A$25.33

100.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,579

$17.30 A$24.61

-54.28%

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

$490 ₡221.8K

$2,328 A$3,310

-78.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$23.2K A$33.0K

-48.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.8K

$77.3 A$110

-29.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.3K

$66.3 A$94.3

-15.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.4K

$123 A$174

-34.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.2K

$161 A$229

-51.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡362.3K

$1,391 A$1,978

-42.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡357.2K

$1,190 A$1,693

-33.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,173 A$3,091

84.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡637.6K

$1,783 A$2,536

-20.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$5,780 A$8,221

22.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡559.2K

$4,889 A$6,954

-74.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡401.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.91

45.85%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Northam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Northam

$1.2K 47.6% 50.8% $401

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Northam

$314 12.6% 10.2% $36

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Northam

$323 12.9% 52% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Northam

$284 11.4% 54.4% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Northam

$192 7.7% 58.8% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Northam

$91 3.7% 1.6% $1.5

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Northam

$103 4.1% 16.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $1,391 in Northam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Nosara vs $85 in Northam. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $314, with Northam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇺 Northam

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

08:42 8:42 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

6,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 452 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 507 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Northam 16,680 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Northam

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 Northam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Northam. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $3,747 in Northam 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $1,391 in Northam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61 versus $85 in Northam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $2,498 in Northam – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nosara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Northam are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.