Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Saint Croix

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Croix: $833 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
143

Cost of Living Index in Saint Croix
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Saint Croix Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Saint Croix

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $833 in Saint Croix, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Saint Croix $833

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,698 in Saint Croix, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Saint Croix $1,698

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $2,562 in Saint Croix, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Saint Croix $2,562

Nosara costs about 120% more than Saint Croix, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Saint Croix is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$40.24 $40.24

-69.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$150 $150

-59.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$9.99 $9.99

-22.32%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$7.47 $7.47

-40.56%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$3.34 $3.34

-46.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$3.04 $3.04

-57.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.84 $5.84

-44.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$7.78 $7.78

-43.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.44 $2.44

-36.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$7.15 $7.15

-56.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$11.06 $11.06

-77.12%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$8.70 $8.70

-60.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$22.20 $22.20

-67.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$11.12 $11.12

-79.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$5.96 $5.96

-81.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.01 $1.01

53.47%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

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

$490 ₡219.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$2,525 $2,525

-68.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 20, 2026

Last update for Saint Croix: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Saint Croix

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Saint Croix

$321 * 38.5% 8.2% $29

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Saint Croix

$512 61.5% 141% $299

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Saint Croix

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Saint Croix

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Saint Croix

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Saint Croix

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $2,525 in Saint Croix. 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $150 in Saint Croix. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $321 in Saint Croix – so Saint Croix wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇮 Saint Croix

🕒 Local time

16:18 4:18 PM

18:18 6:18 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

50,601

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Saint Croix 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Saint Croix

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 Croix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $833 in Saint Croix – roughly 120% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,249 in Saint Croix. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Croix, 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 $150 in Saint Croix. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,835 in Nosara and $833 in Saint Croix. That's a gap of about 120%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint Croix, where all-in costs run around $833, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Saint Croix 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 $833 in Saint Croix to $1,835 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 Saint Croix. 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.