Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Salisbury

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,537 in Salisbury, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Salisbury
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,537
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Salisbury

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,537 in Salisbury, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,839
  • Salisbury $2,537

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,555 in Salisbury, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,828
  • Salisbury $3,555

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,574 in Salisbury, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,818
  • Salisbury $4,574

Nosara is about 28% cheaper than Salisbury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Salisbury sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Salisbury by 88%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Salisbury
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.35 ₡5,539
$25.94 £19.46
-52.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 ₡27.4K
$89.9 £67.5
-31.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.52 ₡3,373
$12.72 £9.55
-40.88%
Cappuccino
$4.41 ₡1,978
$4.74 £3.55
-6.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₡780
$3.29 £2.47
-47.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₡587
$2.39 £1.79
-45.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.28 ₡1,471
$6.06 £4.55
-45.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 ₡2,004
$4.68 £3.51
-4.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Salisbury
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ₡701
$1.71 £1.28
-8.77%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 ₡1,355
$1.04 £0.78
190.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 ₡1,125
$1.79 £1.35
40.22%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,603
$3.21 £2.41
11.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,333
$9.23 £6.92
-19.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.52 ₡4,717
$8.34 £6.26
26.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.97 ₡6,265
$14.13 £10.60
-1.13%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ₡1,052
$1.61 £1.21
45.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡720
$1.18 £0.88
36.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.80 ₡2,152
$3.89 £2.92
23.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 ₡724
$4.09 £3.07
-60.64%
Potato (1kg)
$3.80 ₡1,703
$2.11 £1.58
80.09%
Onion (1kg)
$3.69 ₡1,657
$1.09 £0.82
238.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 ₡507
$2.04 £1.53
-44.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 ₡1,191
$1.56 £1.17
70.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 ₡2,321
$23.59 £17.70
-78.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.88 ₡8,916
$12.07 £9.05
64.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 ₡1,300
$3.66 £2.75
-20.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ₡1,626
$3.99 £2.99
-9.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Salisbury
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 ₡504
$4.01 £3.01
-72.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.6 ₡32.6K
$84.8 £63.7
-14.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.14 ₡958
$6.93 £5.20
-69.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 ₡703
$1.67 £1.25
-5.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.52 ₡3,823
$21.14 £15.86
-59.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 ₡682
$1.98 £1.49
-23.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.6K ₡9.7M
$37.7K £28.3K
-42.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K ₡15.5M
$39.7K £29.8K
-13.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Salisbury
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.3 ₡43.2K
$391 £293
-75.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.89 ₡16.1K
$15.92 £11.94
125.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ₡24.0K
$34.48 £25.87
55.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Salisbury
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.6 ₡32.1K
$93.6 £70.3
-23.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.91 ₡15.7K
$19.50 £14.63
79.03%
Cinema Ticket
$7.89 ₡3,539
$10.14 £7.60
-22.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Salisbury
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 ₡221.6K
$1,211 £909
-59.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.3M
$5,389 £4,043
120.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Salisbury
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.9 ₡24.2K
$66.7 £50.1
-19.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 ₡24.8K
$44.71 £33.54
23.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 ₡34.9K
$82.5 £61.9
-5.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 ₡35.7K
$86.2 £64.7
-7.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Salisbury
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$788 ₡353.4K
$1,174 £881
-32.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 ₡356.2K
$1,078 £809
-26.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,939 ₡1.8M
$1,983 £1,488
98.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,419 ₡636.5K
$1,486 £1,115
-4.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,224 ₡549.0K
$4,824 £3,619
-74.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Salisbury
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$864 ₡387.3K
$3,622 £2,717
-76.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
5.59
54.20%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Salisbury: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$794
Salisbury
$1.1K 35.7% $284
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$352
Salisbury
$296 15.9% $56
Eating Out
Nosara
$212
Salisbury
$365 72.3% $153
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$186
Salisbury
$441 138% $256
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Salisbury
$126 5% $6
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Salisbury
$114 30.4% $27
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Salisbury
$116 33.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,174 in Salisbury. 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 319% higher in Salisbury, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $90.0 in Salisbury. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $296 in Salisbury – so Salisbury wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇬🇧 Salisbury
🕒 Local time
07:59 7:59 AM
14:59 2:59 PM
7 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
45,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Salisbury 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Salisbury

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 Salisbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nosara and in Salisbury compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,537 in Salisbury – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Nosara compared to Salisbury?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $3,805 in Salisbury. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nosara and Salisbury?
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.
How do commuting costs compare in Nosara and in Salisbury?
Public transport costs about 17% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nosara and Salisbury?
Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $1,211 in Salisbury. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Salisbury at $2,537. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salisbury it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nosara and Salisbury?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,537 in Salisbury. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nosara or Salisbury safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Nosara and Salisbury?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salisbury makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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