Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Saint Andrews

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,255 in Saint Andrews, 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Saint Andrews
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Saint Andrews Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Saint Andrews

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Saint Andrews

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $2,255 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Saint Andrews $2,255

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $3,245 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Saint Andrews $3,245

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $4,234 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Saint Andrews $4,234

Nosara is about 19% cheaper than Saint Andrews, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Saint Andrews sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Saint Andrews by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$17.75 CA$25.30

-31.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$63.8 CA$91.0

-5.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.59 CA$15.10

-28.80%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.72 CA$5.30

15.86%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.99 CA$2.83

-13.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.58 CA$2.25

-14.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$5.17 CA$7.38

-37.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.77 CA$8.22

-22.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.04 CA$2.91

-23.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.46 CA$3.51

28.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.36 CA$4.79

-27.98%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.47 CA$4.94

2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$9.72 CA$13.86

-23.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$11.12 CA$15.85

-6.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$14.72 CA$20.98

-7.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.66 CA$5.22

-36.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.36 CA$1.93

18.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.70 CA$5.28

28.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.73 CA$5.31

-55.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.59 CA$3.70

43.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.25 CA$3.21

58.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.53 CA$3.61

-56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.57 CA$2.24

62.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$13.96 CA$19.90

-64.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$12.42 CA$17.70

61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.73 CA$3.89

2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.13 CA$4.46

12.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.31 CA$3.29

-48.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$63.1 CA$90.0

14.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.82 CA$4.02

-20.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.49 CA$2.12

4.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$23.25 CA$33.14

-61.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.11 CA$1.59

41.44%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$28.2K CA$40.1K

-22.58%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$18.9K CA$26.9K

83.20%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$138 CA$197

-32.29%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$38.11 CA$54.3

-7.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$55.0 CA$78.4

-6.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$40.69 CA$58.0

75.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$18.31 CA$26.10

93.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$10.95 CA$15.61

-28.40%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$724 CA$1,033

-32.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$13.3K CA$18.9K

-10.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$54.2 CA$77.2

-1.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$37.35 CA$53.2

49.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$84.5 CA$120

-6.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$99.9 CA$142

-21.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,239 CA$1,766

-36.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,151 CA$1,640

-32.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,984 CA$2,829

94.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,678 CA$2,392

-16.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$4,169 CA$5,942

67.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$3,576 CA$5,097

-66.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.64

85.78%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Saint Andrews: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Saint Andrews

$1.2K 50.7% 47.6% $371

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Saint Andrews

$347 15.3% 0.7% $2.4

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Saint Andrews

$270 11.9% 28.9% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Saint Andrews

$231 10.2% 28.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Saint Andrews

$124 5.5% 3.2% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Saint Andrews

$63 2.8% 28.1% $24

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Saint Andrews

$83 3.6% 4.9% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,239 in Saint Andrews. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $64.0 in Saint Andrews. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $347 in Saint Andrews – so Saint Andrews wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Saint Andrews

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

10:43 10:43 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Saint Andrews 4,290 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Saint Andrews

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 Saint Andrews: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $2,255 in Saint Andrews – roughly 23% 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 $3,383 in Saint Andrews. 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.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $724 in Saint Andrews. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Saint Andrews at $2,255. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Andrews 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 $2,255 in Saint Andrews. 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, Saint Andrews makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.