Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Port Alberni

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Alberni: $1,670 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Port Alberni
Learn more

Port Alberni Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Port Alberni

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,670

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Port Alberni

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,670 in Port Alberni, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Port Alberni $1,670

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,790 in Port Alberni, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Port Alberni $2,790

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,911 in Port Alberni, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Port Alberni $3,911

Nosara costs about 10% more than Port Alberni, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Port Alberni sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Port Alberni by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,550

$17.48 CA$24.85

-29.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$61.2 CA$87.0

-0.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,379

$10.46 CA$14.87

-28.11%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,982

$3.89 CA$5.54

13.37%

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

$1.74 ₡781

$2.04 CA$2.90

-14.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.38 CA$1.97

-5.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,474

$3.44 CA$4.89

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,008

$5.40 CA$7.68

-17.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$2.14 CA$3.04

-27.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,358

$2.28 CA$3.24

32.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$2.73 CA$3.88

-8.06%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,606

$3.93 CA$5.59

-9.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,340

$8.94 CA$12.70

-16.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,727

$4.09 CA$5.81

157.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,277

$19.41 CA$27.58

-28.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,054

$2.73 CA$3.87

-13.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡721

$1.06 CA$1.51

51.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,156

$3.40 CA$4.83

41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡725

$3.59 CA$5.10

-55.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,706

$2.07 CA$2.94

83.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,660

$1.85 CA$2.63

99.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$2.16 CA$3.07

-47.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$0.68 CA$0.97

291.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,326

$10.54 CA$14.98

-50.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,934

$10.33 CA$14.69

92.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,303

$2.51 CA$3.56

15.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,629

$2.86 CA$4.07

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.42 CA$2.02

-21.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$33.09 CA$47.03

119.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡960

$2.68 CA$3.81

-20.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.56 CA$2.21

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,830

$31.01 CA$44.07

-72.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡683

$1.20 CA$1.70

26.67%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$27.5K CA$39.1K

-21.55%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.5K CA$27.7K

76.85%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$81.8 CA$116

17.66%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$36.45 CA$51.8

-1.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$51.0 CA$72.5

5.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$42.83 CA$60.9

67.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,546

$12.16 CA$17.28

-35.12%

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

$494 ₡222.0K

$1,087 CA$1,545

-54.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$19.9K CA$28.3K

-40.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$58.2 CA$82.7

-7.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$32.34 CA$45.96

71.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$95.4 CA$136

-18.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$93.7 CA$133

-15.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.1K

$790 CA$1,122

-0.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.9K

$705 CA$1,002

12.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,660 CA$2,359

137.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡637.7K

$1,673 CA$2,378

-15.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.0K

$3,045 CA$4,328

-71.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.28

101.40%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Port Alberni: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Port Alberni

$705 42.2% 11.2% $89

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Port Alberni

$293 17.6% 16.7% $59

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Port Alberni

$260 15.6% 22.6% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Port Alberni

$169 10.1% 8.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Port Alberni

$126 7.5% 4.8% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Port Alberni

$67 4% 23.2% $20

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Port Alberni

$49 3% 43.5% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $790 in Port Alberni. 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 253% higher in Port Alberni, 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 $61.0 in Port Alberni. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $293 in Port Alberni – so Port Alberni wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Port Alberni

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

20:20 8:20 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

17,743

💱 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 Port Alberni 5,670 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Port Alberni

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 Port Alberni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,670 in Port Alberni – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,505 in Port Alberni. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 120% less in Port Alberni. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $1,087 in Port Alberni. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Port Alberni, where all-in costs run around $1,670, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Port Alberni 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 $1,670 in Port Alberni 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 Port Alberni. 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.