Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Parksville

For one person, living is cheaper in Parksville: $1,106 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Parksville
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Parksville Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Parksville

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,106

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Parksville

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,106 in Parksville, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Parksville $1,106

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,823 in Parksville, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Parksville $2,823

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,540 in Parksville, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Parksville $4,540

Nosara costs about 66% more than Parksville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Parksville is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,550

$17.27 CA$24.55

-28.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$56.5 CA$80.3

8.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,379

$10.43 CA$14.83

-27.90%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,982

$3.34 CA$4.75

32.04%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$2.03 CA$2.89

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.64 CA$2.33

-20.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,474

$5.13 CA$7.29

-36.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,008

$5.66 CA$8.05

-21.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$2.28 CA$3.24

-31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,358

$2.09 CA$2.97

44.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$2.88 CA$4.09

-12.85%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,606

$3.28 CA$4.67

8.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,340

$9.76 CA$13.87

-23.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,727

$10.15 CA$14.42

3.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,277

$19.58 CA$27.82

-28.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$3.13 CA$4.45

-24.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.31 CA$1.87

22.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,156

$2.86 CA$4.06

67.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$3.02 CA$4.29

-46.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$2.59 CA$3.68

46.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,660

$2.01 CA$2.86

83.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$2.05 CA$2.92

-44.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$1.78 CA$2.54

49.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,326

$14.13 CA$20.09

-63.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,934

$14.14 CA$20.09

40.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,303

$2.46 CA$3.50

17.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,629

$3.05 CA$4.33

19.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$2.38 CA$3.39

-52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡960

$2.62 CA$3.72

-18.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.58 CA$2.24

-0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,830

$15.09 CA$21.45

-43.54%

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

$26.4K CA$37.5K

-18.12%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.1K CA$25.8K

90.36%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$183 CA$261

-47.49%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$36.28 CA$51.6

-1.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$63.8 CA$90.7

-16.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$57.6 CA$81.9

24.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.57 CA$24.98

98.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,546

$12.46 CA$17.71

-36.68%

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

$494 ₡222.0K

$850 CA$1,208

-41.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$11.9K CA$17.0K

-0.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$47.85 CA$68.0

12.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$59.4 CA$84.5

-6.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$57.0 CA$81.0

36.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$87.2 CA$124

-8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.1K

$1,302 CA$1,850

-39.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,269 CA$3,225

73.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.7K

$2,139 CA$3,040

-33.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.0K

$1,830 CA$2,602

-33.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.0K

$2,833 CA$4,026

-69.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.87

77.00%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Parksville: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Parksville

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Parksville

$345 31.2% 2% $7.1

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Parksville

$261 23.6% 23.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Parksville

$283 25.6% 52.6% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Parksville

$113 10.2% 5.8% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Parksville

$83 7.5% 5.6% $4.9

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Parksville

$20 * 1.8% 77% $67

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 $1,302 in Parksville. 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 228% higher in Parksville, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $57.0 in Parksville. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $345 – making Parksville the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Parksville

🕒 Local time

20:22 8:22 PM

19:22 7:22 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

13,642

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 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 = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Parksville 5,640 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Parksville

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 Parksville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,106 in Parksville – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,658 in Parksville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $57.0 in Parksville. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Parksville, where all-in costs run around $1,106, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Parksville 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 $1,106 in Parksville to $1,839 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 Parksville. 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.