Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Saint Helier

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,351 in Saint Helier, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 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
162

Cost of Living Index in Saint Helier
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Saint Helier Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Saint Helier

🇯🇪 Jersey

$3,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $3,351 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Saint Helier $3,351

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $5,022 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Saint Helier $5,022

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $6,693 in Saint Helier, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Saint Helier $6,693

Nosara is about 45% cheaper than Saint Helier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Saint Helier sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Saint Helier by 150%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$40.27 JEP 30.49

-69.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$118 JEP 89.3

-48.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.42 JEP 7.89

-27.64%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.71 JEP 3.57

-8.49%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$3.33 JEP 2.52

-48.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.45 JEP 1.85

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$7.73 JEP 5.85

-58.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$6.12 JEP 4.63

-26.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.29 JEP 1.74

-31.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.70 JEP 2.04

17.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.76 JEP 2.85

-35.64%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$6.12 JEP 4.63

-41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$7.17 JEP 5.43

3.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$11.79 JEP 8.92

-11.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$18.11 JEP 13.71

-24.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.27 JEP 3.23

-45.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$3.39 JEP 2.56

-52.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$4.24 JEP 3.21

11.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$4.40 JEP 3.33

-62.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.18 JEP 2.41

16.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$3.06 JEP 2.32

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.81 JEP 1.37

-39.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$2.51 JEP 1.90

1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$19.58 JEP 14.82

-74.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$10.44 JEP 7.90

91.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$4.68 JEP 3.54

-40.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$7.59 JEP 5.75

-53.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$3.25 JEP 2.46

-63.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$69.6 JEP 52.7

3.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$5.32 JEP 4.03

-57.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.49 JEP 1.88

-37.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$53.2 JEP 40.27

-83.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$2.05 JEP 1.55

-23.41%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$26.3K JEP 19.9K

-17.14%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$35.9K JEP 27.1K

-3.40%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$318 JEP 241

-70.59%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$45.82 JEP 34.69

-23.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$72.2 JEP 54.7

-28.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$75.8 JEP 57.4

-5.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$28.03 JEP 21.22

26.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$20.18 JEP 15.28

-61.15%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$2,731 JEP 2,067

-82.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$12.0K JEP 9,051

-0.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$103 JEP 77.8

-47.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$73.2 JEP 55.4

-23.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$121 JEP 91.6

-34.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$208 JEP 157

-62.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,816 JEP 1,375

-56.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,587 JEP 1,201

-50.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$3,324 JEP 2,516

16.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$2,554 JEP 1,933

-44.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$11.6K JEP 8,810

-40.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$10.2K JEP 7,685

-88.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$4,528 JEP 3,428

-80.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.08

111.27%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Saint Helier: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Saint Helier

$1.6K 47.1% 103% $807

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Saint Helier

$417 12.4% 19.4% $68

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Saint Helier

$484 14.4% 131% $275

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Saint Helier

$436 12.9% 142% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Saint Helier

$227 6.8% 88.8% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Saint Helier

$116 3.5% 33.5% $29

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Saint Helier

$100 3% 15.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,816 in Saint Helier. 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 417% higher in Saint Helier, 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 $118 in Saint Helier. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $417 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇪 Saint Helier

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

08:22 8:22 AM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

32,522 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Jersey Pound JEP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 JEP = 1.32 USD

1 JEP = 1.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JEP, 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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Jersey Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 JEP (1 JEP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.849 JEP (1 JEP = 1.18 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Saint Helier 8,700 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Saint Helier

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 Helier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $3,351 in Saint Helier – roughly 82% 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 $5,026 in Saint Helier. 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 4% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $2,731 in Saint Helier. 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 Helier at $3,351. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Helier 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 $3,351 in Saint Helier. 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 Helier makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.