Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santa Cruz, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,285 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Santa Cruz

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

A single person spends $1,846 per month in Nosara vs $1,285 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Nosara $1,846
Santa Cruz $1,285

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Nosara vs $1,988 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Nosara $2,833
Santa Cruz $1,988

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Nosara vs $2,690 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Nosara $3,820
Santa Cruz $2,690

Nosara costs about 44% more than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Santa Cruz is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,575

$7.37 JMD 1,163

67.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 ₡27.4K

$63.6 JMD 10.0K

-4.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 ₡3,557

$6.45 JMD 1,016

22.17%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,986

$5.34 JMD 842

-17.60%

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

$1.72 ₡776

$1.16 JMD 182

48.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₡603

$0.75 JMD 119

78.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 ₡1,505

$2.26 JMD 357

47.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,048

$3.08 JMD 485

47.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ₡739

$4.04 JMD 638

-59.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,426

$2.58 JMD 406

22.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,080

$1.57 JMD 248

52.23%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,564

$3.47 JMD 548

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 ₡3,217

$11.33 JMD 1,787

-37.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 ₡4,655

$6.40 JMD 1,010

61.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,302

$10.41 JMD 1,641

34.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,031

$5.97 JMD 941

-61.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡731

$3.83 JMD 604

-57.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 ₡2,169

$7.43 JMD 1,171

-35.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₡758

$3.01 JMD 474

-44.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,765

$3.32 JMD 523

17.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 ₡1,640

$2.64 JMD 416

37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡509

$3.01 JMD 475

-62.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 ₡1,188

$1.45 JMD 229

81.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₡2,267

$9.47 JMD 1,494

-46.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 ₡8,893

$11.53 JMD 1,818

70.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,314

$2.89 JMD 456

0.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₡1,597

$4.01 JMD 632

-11.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 ₡545

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ₡33.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₡969

$1.27 JMD 201

69.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡738

$3.12 JMD 492

-47.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,958

$6.12 JMD 966

43.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$1.39 JMD 220

11.51%

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$44.8K JMD 7.1M

-24.45%

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

$38.5K ₡17.4M

$32.6K JMD 5.1M

18.19%

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

$95.2 ₡43.0K

$166 JMD 26.2K

-42.70%

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

$36.29 ₡16.4K

$29.57 JMD 4,664

22.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 ₡23.5K

$51.8 JMD 8,165

0.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.6 ₡30.5K

$38.40 JMD 6,055

75.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 ₡3,404

$13.44 JMD 2,119

-43.90%

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

$496 ₡224.0K

$359 JMD 56.6K

38.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K ₡5.3M

$8,104 JMD 1.3M

45.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ₡24.9K

$23.66 JMD 3,731

133.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.3K

$31.85 JMD 5,022

76.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₡35.1K

$78.3 JMD 12.3K

-0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 ₡35.7K

$101 JMD 15.9K

-21.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡368.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$806 ₡363.6K

$311 JMD 49.0K

159.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,988 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₡644.9K

$499 JMD 78.8K

186.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$888 ₡400.7K

$408 JMD 64.3K

117.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.45

-8.78%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$806 43.7%

Santa Cruz

$311 24.2% 61.4% $495

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$351 19%

Santa Cruz

$371 28.9% 5.8% $20

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Santa Cruz

$168 13% 21.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 9.9%

Santa Cruz

$248 19.3% 34.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.5%

Santa Cruz

$106 8.2% 12.5% $15

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Santa Cruz

$17 * 1.3% 81% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Santa Cruz

$65 5.1% 21% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Nosara are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $64 in Santa Cruz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $371 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇲 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

11:38 11:38 AM

12:38 12:38 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

8,217

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Santa Cruz 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,846 in Nosara, $1,285 in Santa Cruz – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,769 per month in Nosara and $1,928 in Santa Cruz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara and $64 in Santa Cruz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Nosara at $1,846. In Santa Cruz 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 $1,285 in Santa Cruz to $1,846 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Cruz. 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.