Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Saint John's

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Saint John's: $1,837 and $1,816 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Saint John's
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Saint John's Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Saint John's

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

$1,816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,816 in Saint John's, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Saint John's $1,816

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,873 in Saint John's, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Saint John's $2,873

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,929 in Saint John's, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Saint John's $3,929

Nosara costs about 1% more than Saint John's, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Saint John's sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Saint John's by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$22.50 EC$60.8

-45.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$75.0 EC$203

-19.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.97 EC$29.62

-31.27%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.80 EC$10.27

13.42%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.03 EC$5.47

-15.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.87 EC$2.34

55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.87 EC$5.05

73.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$4.48 EC$12.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.18 EC$5.88

-27.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.81 EC$7.59

12.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.90 EC$5.14

27.37%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$6.63 EC$17.91

-46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.32 EC$22.46

-10.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$8.31 EC$22.44

25.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$6.48 EC$17.49

-64.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.42 EC$6.54

-33.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$8.12 EC$21.93

-41.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$8.10 EC$21.87

-79.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.92 EC$7.88

27.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.90 EC$7.84

23.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.64 EC$7.12

-58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.61 EC$4.34

58.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$5.53 EC$14.93

261.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.73 EC$7.36

2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$4.55 EC$12.29

-22.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.63 EC$4.40

-3.68%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$256 EC$692

-63.55%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$40.32 EC$109

-12.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$81.4 EC$220

-36.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$65.3 EC$176

9.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.43 EC$17.36

21.93%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$1,855 EC$5,009

540.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$49.21 EC$133

8.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$75.4 EC$204

5.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,036 EC$2,796

-24.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$680 EC$1,835

14.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,694 EC$4,573

127.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,497 EC$4,043

-6.03%

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

$1,344 EC$3,630

-34.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.5

56.73%

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's: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Saint John's

$680 37.2% 12.8% $100

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Saint John's

$349 * 19.1% 0.3% $0.9

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Saint John's

$288 15.8% 37.7% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Saint John's

$378 20.7% 110% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Saint John's

$56 * 3.1% 53.4% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Saint John's

$78 4.3% 10.2% $8.9

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Saint John's

- * 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 $786 in Nosara versus $1,036 in Saint John's. 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 53% higher in Saint John's, 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 $75.0 in Saint John's. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $349 in Saint John's – so Saint John's wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇬 Saint John's

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

08:34 8:34 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

21,926 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, 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).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Saint John's 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Saint John's

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's: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,816 in Saint John's – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,724 in Saint John's. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint John's, 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 $60.0 in Nosara and $75.0 in Saint John's. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $1,816 in Saint John's. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Saint John's, where all-in costs run around $1,816, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Saint John's 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 $1,816 in Saint John's 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 Saint John's. 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.