Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Saint John Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $6,201 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $52,400 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
297

Cost of Living Index in Saint John Island
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Saint John Island Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Saint John Island

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$6,201

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Saint John Island

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $6,201 in Saint John Island, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Saint John Island $6,201

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $8,382 in Saint John Island, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Saint John Island $8,382

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $10.6K in Saint John Island, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Saint John Island $10.6K

Nosara is about 70% cheaper than Saint John Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Saint John Island sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Saint John Island by 363%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$69.9 $69.9

-82.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$150 $150

-59.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$15.14 $15.14

-50.20%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$9.16 $9.16

-52.95%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$3.41 $3.41

-49.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$3.48 $3.48

-61.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$5.13 $5.13

-36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$6.87 $6.87

-34.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$3.15 $3.15

-50.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$7.96 $7.96

-60.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$12.02 $12.02

-79.87%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$12.07 $12.07

-70.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$32.43 $32.43

-77.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$33.00 $33.00

-68.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$24.11 $24.11

-43.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$21.82 $21.82

-89.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$3.91 $3.91

-58.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$17.29 $17.29

-72.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$11.89 $11.89

-86.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$7.74 $7.74

-51.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$7.86 $7.86

-54.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$4.95 $4.95

-77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$3.55 $3.55

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$8.86 $8.86

-44.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$23.36 $23.36

-14.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$4.58 $4.58

-39.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$6.17 $6.17

-42.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$7.15 $7.15

-83.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$149 $149

-51.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$30.31 $30.31

-92.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$50.2 $50.2

-82.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.56 $1.56

0.64%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$47.1K $47.1K

-53.74%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$52.2K $52.2K

-33.67%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$297 $297

-68.50%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$98.4 $98.4

-64.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$101 $101

-49.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$80.4 $80.4

-33.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$49.69 $49.69

12.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$84.9 $84.9

-6.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$100 $100

-21.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$4,020 $4,020

-80.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$3,511 $3,511

-77.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$5,081 $5,081

-24.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$4,566 $4,566

-69.18%

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

$4,412 $4,412

-80.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

23.14%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Saint John Island: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Saint John Island

$3.5K 57.3% 350% $2.7K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Saint John Island

$987 16.1% 182% $637

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Saint John Island

$781 12.8% 273% $572

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Saint John Island

$496 8.1% 176% $316

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Saint John Island

$142 2.3% 17.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Saint John Island

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Saint John Island

$208 * 3.4% 139% $121

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 $4,020 in Saint John Island. 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 403% higher in Saint John Island, 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 $150 in Saint John Island. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $987 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇻🇮 Saint John Island

🕒 Local time

06:26 6:26 AM

08:26 8:26 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

4,170

💱 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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Between locations

Nosara Saint John Island 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Saint John Island

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 John Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $6,201 in Saint John Island – roughly 237% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $9,302 in Saint John Island. 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 106% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 182% more in Saint John Island, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Saint John Island at $6,201. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John Island 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 $6,201 in Saint John Island. 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 John Island makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.