Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Onchan

For one person, living is cheaper in Onchan: $1,385 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Onchan
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Onchan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Onchan

🇮🇲 Isle of Man

$1,385

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Onchan

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,385 in Onchan, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Onchan $1,385

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,252 in Onchan, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Onchan $2,252

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,119 in Onchan, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Onchan $3,119

Nosara costs about 33% more than Onchan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Onchan sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Onchan by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$28.20 IMP 21.35

-56.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$118 IMP 89.0

-48.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$11.77 IMP 8.91

-35.94%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$5.06 IMP 3.83

-14.82%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.66 IMP 2.01

-35.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.10 IMP 1.59

-35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$6.64 IMP 5.03

-51.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$6.07 IMP 4.60

-26.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.91 IMP 1.44

-17.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.70 IMP 2.04

17.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.11 IMP 1.60

14.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$5.33 IMP 4.04

-33.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.02 IMP 6.07

-7.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$8.80 IMP 6.66

18.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$12.46 IMP 9.43

9.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.91 IMP 2.20

-20.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.85 IMP 1.40

-12.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.88 IMP 2.94

22.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.58 IMP 2.71

-53.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.96 IMP 2.24

25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.96 IMP 2.24

20.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.16 IMP 1.63

-49.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$2.68 IMP 2.03

-4.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$22.86 IMP 17.30

-78.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$12.02 IMP 9.10

66.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$4.45 IMP 3.37

-37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$4.18 IMP 3.16

-15.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$4.92 IMP 3.72

-54.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.45 IMP 1.10

6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$80.8 IMP 61.1

-89.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.91 IMP 1.45

-17.80%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$43.3K IMP 32.8K

-49.61%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$43.7K IMP 33.1K

-20.82%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$342 IMP 259

-72.69%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$62.0 IMP 46.90

-43.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$71.8 IMP 54.3

-28.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$15.73 IMP 11.91

-50.16%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$1,767 IMP 1,337

-72.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$52.6K IMP 39.8K

-77.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$98.3 IMP 74.4

-45.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$45.62 IMP 34.53

22.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$110 IMP 83.5

-28.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$70.6 IMP 53.5

11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.76

81.09%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Onchan: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Onchan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Onchan

$351 25% 0.3% $1.1

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Onchan

$386 27.5% 84.3% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Onchan

$476 33.9% 164% $296

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Onchan

$146 10.4% 21.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Onchan

$31 * 2.2% 63.9% $56

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Onchan

$12 * 0.9% 86% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $118 in Onchan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $351 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇲 Onchan

🕒 Local time

20:47 8:47 PM

03:47 3:47 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

26,218

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Isle of Man Pound IMP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 IMP = 1.32 USD

1 IMP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IMP, 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).

Isle of Man Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 IMP (1 IMP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.849 IMP (1 IMP = 1.18 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Onchan 8,540 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Onchan

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 Onchan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,385 in Onchan – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,077 in Onchan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $118 in Onchan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Onchan, where all-in costs run around $1,385, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Onchan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,385 in Onchan to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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