Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Road Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,590 in Road Town, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
141

Cost of Living Index in Road Town
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Road Town Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Road Town

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,590

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Road Town

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $2,590 in Road Town, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Road Town $2,590

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $4,520 in Road Town, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Road Town $4,520

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $6,450 in Road Town, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Road Town $6,450

Nosara is about 29% cheaper than Road Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Nosara and Road Town sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Road Town by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$17.40 $17.40

-29.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$79.0 $79.0

-23.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.07 $8.07

-6.57%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.55 $4.55

-5.27%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.61 $1.61

6.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.96 $0.96

40.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$4.08 $4.08

-20.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.85 $1.85

142.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.31 $2.31

-32.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$4.52 $4.52

-29.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.06 $3.06

-20.92%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$5.02 $5.02

-28.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.63 $3.63

-36.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$3.27 $3.27

-50.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.04 $2.04

132.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$6.62 $6.62

-74.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$4.78 $4.78

-22.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$3.87 $3.87

-7.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$6.32 $6.32

-82.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.84 $1.84

38.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$5.10 $5.10

-2.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$10.89 $10.89

83.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$4.10 $4.10

-70.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.21 $1.21

29.75%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$164 $164

-43.08%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$82.4 $82.4

-57.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$124 $124

-58.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$121 $121

-40.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$19.82 $19.82

78.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$10.20 $10.20

-23.14%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$369 $369

32.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$10.4K $10.4K

14.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$47.86 $47.86

11.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$54.2 $54.2

2.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$129 $129

-38.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$137 $137

-42.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,654 $1,654

-52.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,371 $1,371

-43.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$4,373 $4,373

-11.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$3,596 $3,596

-60.86%

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

$1,706 $1,706

-48.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Road Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Road Town

$1.4K 53% 75.8% $591

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Road Town

$271 * 10.5% 22.5% $79

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Road Town

$252 9.8% 20.5% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Road Town

$371 14.3% 106% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Road Town

$166 6.4% 37.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Road Town

$141 5.5% 62.3% $54

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Road Town

$16 * 0.6% 81.1% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,654 in Road Town. 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 95% higher in Road Town, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $79.0 in Road Town. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $271 in Road Town – so Road Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇬 Road Town

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

06:08 6:08 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

12,603 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Road Town 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Road Town

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 Road Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $2,590 in Road Town – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $3,885 in Road Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $79.0 in Road Town. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 29% cheaper in Road Town – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Road Town at $2,590. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Road Town 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $2,590 in Road Town. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Road Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.