Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Saguenay

For one person, living is cheaper in Saguenay: $1,417 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Saguenay
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Saguenay Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Saguenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,417

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Saguenay

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,417 in Saguenay, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Saguenay $1,417

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,221 in Saguenay, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Saguenay $2,221

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,025 in Saguenay, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Saguenay $3,025

Nosara costs about 30% more than Saguenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nosara and Saguenay sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Saguenay by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$15.47 CA$22.05

-21.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$42.88 CA$61.1

40.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.74 CA$15.31

-29.80%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.64 CA$5.19

18.41%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.50 CA$2.14

14.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.21 CA$1.73

11.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$5.21 CA$7.43

-37.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.22 CA$7.45

-14.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.05 CA$2.92

-23.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.83 CA$4.03

12.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$4.09 CA$5.83

-40.83%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.74 CA$3.91

30.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.67 CA$12.35

-14.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$7.13 CA$10.17

46.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$10.13 CA$14.44

34.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.24 CA$6.05

-45.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.36 CA$1.94

18.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.70 CA$5.27

28.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.91 CA$5.57

-57.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.93 CA$4.17

26.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.76 CA$3.93

29.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.42 CA$3.45

-54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.80 CA$1.14

218.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$11.81 CA$16.84

-58.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.29 CA$16.10

77.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$3.21 CA$4.57

-13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.36 CA$4.79

5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.71 CA$3.86

-56.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$56.1 CA$80.0

28.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.81 CA$4.01

-20.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.40 CA$2.00

10.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$27.62 CA$39.36

-67.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.14 CA$1.63

37.72%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$27.6K CA$39.3K

-20.97%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$19.5K CA$27.8K

77.76%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$62.9 CA$89.7

48.55%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$31.16 CA$44.41

12.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$44.94 CA$64.1

14.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$24.19 CA$34.48

195.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$18.72 CA$26.68

89.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.87 CA$12.64

-11.61%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$681 CA$970

-28.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$9,086 CA$13.0K

30.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$56.9 CA$81.2

-5.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$34.40 CA$49.03

62.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$85.6 CA$122

-7.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$107 CA$153

-26.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$609 CA$868

29.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$459 CA$654

69.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,177 CA$1,678

227.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$930 CA$1,326

51.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$5,613 CA$8,001

24.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$3,390 CA$4,832

-64.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$2,552 CA$3,638

-65.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.44

94.14%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Saguenay: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Saguenay

$459 32.7% 41.2% $321

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Saguenay

$311 22.2% 11.1% $39

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Saguenay

$247 17.6% 18% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Saguenay

$139 9.9% 22.8% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Saguenay

$128 9.1% 6.3% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Saguenay

$42 3% 51.8% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Saguenay

$77 5.5% 11.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $609 in Saguenay. 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 191% higher in Saguenay, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $43.00 in Saguenay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $311 – making Saguenay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Saguenay

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

14:58 2:58 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

144,723

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Saguenay 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Saguenay

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 Saguenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,417 in Saguenay – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,125 in Saguenay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 28% less in Saguenay. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $681 in Saguenay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Saguenay, where all-in costs run around $1,417, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Saguenay 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 $1,417 in Saguenay 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 Saguenay. 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.