Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sao Tome

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Tome: $1,218 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Tome
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Sao Tome Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Sao Tome

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$1,218

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sao Tome

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,218 in Sao Tome, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Sao Tome $1,218

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,921 in Sao Tome, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Sao Tome $1,921

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,624 in Sao Tome, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Sao Tome $2,624

Nosara costs about 51% more than Sao Tome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Sao Tome is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$8.91 STN 195

37.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$44.14 STN 965

36.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$7.85 STN 171

-3.95%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.25 STN 49.12

91.56%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.87 STN 40.78

-8.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.28 STN 27.93

5.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$1.73 STN 37.88

87.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.81 STN 39.58

147.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.57 STN 34.32

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.99 STN 21.63

220.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.06 STN 45.02

17.48%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.77 STN 104

-25.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$19.45 STN 425

-61.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$19.62 STN 429

-46.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$24.03 STN 525

-43.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.85 STN 84.2

-39.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.78 STN 38.80

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.68 STN 80.4

28.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.44 STN 75.3

-51.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.95 STN 64.4

26.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.35 STN 51.3

51.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.54 STN 11.90

103.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$2.07 STN 45.32

23.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.21 STN 48.28

123.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.05 STN 176

148.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.51 STN 32.99

84.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.64 STN 35.78

115.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.39 STN 30.39

-14.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.64 STN 35.75

36.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$2.56 STN 56.0

-39.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$13.77 STN 301

-35.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.73 STN 37.85

-9.25%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$24.7K STN 539.4K

-11.68%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$31.3K STN 683.8K

10.67%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$233 STN 5,095

-59.93%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$31.29 STN 684

12.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$66.0 STN 1,442

-21.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$33.83 STN 739

111.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$25.54 STN 558

38.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$20.28 STN 443

-61.34%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$227 STN 4,961

115.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$2,207 STN 48.2K

438.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$76.4 STN 1,669

-26.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$18.71 STN 409

321.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$282 STN 6,165

178.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$198 STN 4,325

293.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$947 STN 20.7K

307.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$441 STN 9,646

218.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,812 STN 39.6K

284.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,126 STN 24.6K

6.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$259 STN 5,650

238.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

7.38

16.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Sao Tome

$198 16.2% 74.6% $582

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Sao Tome

$411 33.6% 17.6% $61

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Sao Tome

$147 12% 30% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Sao Tome

$330 27% 83.5% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sao Tome

$43 * 3.5% 64.5% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sao Tome

$74 6.1% 14.6% $13

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sao Tome

$20 * 1.6% 77% $67

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 $282 in Sao Tome. 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 239% higher in Nosara, 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 $44.00 in Sao Tome. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $411 in Sao Tome – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇹 Sao Tome

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

13:01 1:01 PM

6 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

53,300 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 STN = 4.58 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

STN, 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).

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 21.85 STN (100 STN = 4.58 USD). 1 EUR = 24.48 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sao Tome 10,260 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sao Tome

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 Sao Tome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,218 in Sao Tome – roughly 51% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,827 in Sao Tome. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Tome, 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 $44.00 in Sao Tome. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Tome, where all-in costs run around $1,218, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Sao Tome 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 $1,218 in Sao Tome 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 Sao Tome. 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.