Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Saint-Leu

Name: Saint-Leu
Address: Saint-Leu, RE

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Leu: $1,502 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Saint-Leu

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Saint-Leu

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,502 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Saint-Leu $1,502

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,357 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Saint-Leu $2,357

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,213 in Saint-Leu, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Saint-Leu $3,213

Nosara costs about 22% more than Saint-Leu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Saint-Leu sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Saint-Leu by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$28.24 €25.12

-56.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$89.2 €79.3

-31.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$2.83 €2.52

56.89%

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

$1.79 ₡803

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.10 €0.98

17.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$7.88 €7.01

-58.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.56 €4.95

-20.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.10 €0.98

40.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.26 €1.12

144.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.17 €1.93

16.59%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$4.62 €4.11

-25.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$22.03 €19.60

-66.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.38 €3.00

-32.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.66 €1.47

-1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.27 €2.02

111.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$3.40 €3.02

-51.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.25 €2.00

71.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.18 €1.94

72.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.81 €0.72

219.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$14.77 €13.13

-65.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$5.56 €4.95

258.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.64 €1.46

70.73%

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

$1.87 €1.66

-17.11%

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

$94.6 €84.1

0.23%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$9.89 €8.80

265.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$34.06 €30.30

55.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$33.81 €30.08

118.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$10.01 €8.91

-20.98%

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

$1,140 €1,014

-29.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$785 €698

0.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,981 €1,762

102.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,353 €1,204

4.14%

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

$2,039 €1,814

-56.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

115.50%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Saint-Leu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Saint-Leu

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Saint-Leu

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Saint-Leu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Saint-Leu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Saint-Leu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Saint-Leu

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Saint-Leu

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,140 in Saint-Leu. 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 130% higher in Saint-Leu, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $89.0 in Saint-Leu. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $210 in Saint-Leu – so Saint-Leu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇷🇪 Saint-Leu

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

16:22 4:22 PM

10 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

34,893

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Saint-Leu 15,660 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Saint-Leu

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-Leu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,502 in Saint-Leu – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,253 in Saint-Leu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint-Leu, 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 $89.0 in Saint-Leu. 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 $1,502 in Saint-Leu. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint-Leu, where all-in costs run around $1,502, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Saint-Leu 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 $1,502 in Saint-Leu 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-Leu. 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.