Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Oakville

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,636 in Oakville, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Oakville
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,636
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Oakville

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,636 in Oakville, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Oakville $2,636

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,763 in Oakville, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Oakville $3,763

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,889 in Oakville, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Oakville $4,889

Nosara is about 30% cheaper than Oakville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nosara and Oakville sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Oakville by 95%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Oakville
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$14.19 CA$20.06
-12.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$68.5 CA$96.9
-10.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$8.86 CA$12.53
-15.12%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$3.55 CA$5.02
24.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$2.04 CA$2.88
-14.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$1.55 CA$2.19
-15.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$5.76 CA$8.14
-43.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$6.23 CA$8.80
-28.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Oakville
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$2.61 CA$3.69
-40.23%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$2.90 CA$4.10
4.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$3.46 CA$4.89
-27.46%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$4.20 CA$5.94
-15.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$9.28 CA$13.13
-19.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$10.31 CA$14.58
2.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$13.21 CA$18.67
5.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$3.41 CA$4.82
-31.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.84 CA$2.60
-12.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$3.50 CA$4.94
37.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$2.94 CA$4.16
-45.24%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$2.50 CA$3.53
52.00%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$3.23 CA$4.56
14.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$2.16 CA$3.05
-47.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$1.68 CA$2.37
58.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$13.98 CA$19.77
-62.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$12.77 CA$18.05
55.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$3.16 CA$4.47
-8.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$2.50 CA$3.53
45.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Oakville
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$2.74 CA$3.88
-59.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$95.5 CA$135
-23.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.09 CA$1.54
39.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$27.3K CA$38.6K
-20.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$18.4K CA$26.0K
87.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Oakville
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$93.9 CA$133
2.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$29.18 CA$41.26
23.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$47.49 CA$67.1
12.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Oakville
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$42.76 CA$60.5
67.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$8.95 CA$12.66
-11.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Oakville
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$1,027 CA$1,451
-51.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$17.6K CA$24.8K
-32.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Oakville
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$67.3 CA$95.1
-19.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$84.1 CA$119
-34.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$108 CA$153
-27.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$107 CA$151
-25.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Oakville
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$1,733 CA$2,450
-54.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$1,545 CA$2,184
-48.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$2,576 CA$3,642
52.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$2,361 CA$3,338
-39.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
$3,990 CA$5,640
73.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$6,863 CA$9,702
-82.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Oakville
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$3,141 CA$4,440
-72.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
5.39
59.93%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Oakville: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Oakville
$1.5K 94.4% $750
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Oakville
$351 0.5% $1.6
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Oakville
$238 12.5% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Oakville
$171 8.2% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Oakville
$165 37.4% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Oakville
$61 30.6% $27
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Oakville
$106 * 22.2% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,733 in Oakville. 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 264% higher in Oakville, 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 $69.0 in Oakville. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $351 in Oakville – so Oakville wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇨🇦 Oakville
🕒 Local time
22:43 10:43 PM
00:43 12:43 AM
2 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
193,832
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Oakville 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Oakville

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 Oakville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Oakville compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,636 in Oakville – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Oakville?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,954 in Oakville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Oakville?
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.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Oakville?
Public transport costs about 31% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Oakville?
Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $1,027 in Oakville. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Oakville at $2,636. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oakville it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Oakville?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,636 in Oakville. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Oakville safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Oakville?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oakville makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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