Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sault Ste. Marie

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Sault Ste. Marie
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Sault Ste. Marie Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sault Ste. Marie

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Sault Ste. Marie $2,059

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,008 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Sault Ste. Marie $3,008

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,956 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Sault Ste. Marie $3,956

Nosara is about 11% cheaper than Sault Ste. Marie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Sault Ste. Marie sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Sault Ste. Marie by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$17.17 CA$24.28

-28.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$70.6 CA$99.8

-13.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$10.23 CA$14.46

-24.14%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.47 CA$4.90

27.95%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.64 CA$2.32

9.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.35 CA$1.91

-4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$4.68 CA$6.62

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$5.00 CA$7.07

-11.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.42 CA$3.43

-35.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.14 CA$3.02

43.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$3.27 CA$4.63

-22.63%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.98 CA$4.22

15.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$8.32 CA$11.76

-12.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$9.97 CA$14.10

2.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$10.51 CA$14.86

34.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.14 CA$4.43

-27.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$0.99 CA$1.40

65.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$3.06 CA$4.33

56.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$3.54 CA$5.01

-53.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.97 CA$2.79

95.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.69 CA$2.39

121.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.77 CA$3.92

-60.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.27 CA$1.79

103.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$15.75 CA$22.26

-67.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$10.67 CA$15.08

86.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.84 CA$2.60

52.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.28 CA$3.23

54.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.24 CA$3.16

-45.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$57.5 CA$81.2

28.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.47 CA$4.91

-37.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$2.31 CA$3.26

-32.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$22.97 CA$32.47

-62.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.08 CA$1.52

43.52%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.5K CA$37.5K

30.41%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$20.3K CA$28.6K

91.22%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$174 CA$246

-45.58%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$44.36 CA$62.7

-18.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$76.7 CA$108

-30.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$50.3 CA$71.0

46.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$17.62 CA$24.90

102.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$11.18 CA$15.80

-29.25%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,984 CA$7,046

138.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$45.63 CA$64.5

20.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$35.58 CA$50.3

57.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$74.8 CA$106

7.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$120 CA$170

-35.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$893 CA$1,262

-10.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$931 CA$1,316

-15.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,325 CA$1,873

202.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,455 CA$2,057

-3.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,868 CA$2,640

278.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$5,432 CA$7,679

-77.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$3,049 CA$4,310

-70.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.53

55.88%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Sault Ste. Marie

$931 45.2% 17.9% $142

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Sault Ste. Marie

$299 14.5% 14.4% $50

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Sault Ste. Marie

$255 12.4% 19.9% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Sault Ste. Marie

$295 14.3% 60.4% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Sault Ste. Marie

$124 6% 2.7% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Sault Ste. Marie

$73 3.5% 19% $17

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Sault Ste. Marie

$81 4% 8.3% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $893 in Sault Ste. Marie. 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 244% higher in Sault Ste. Marie, 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 $71.0 in Sault Ste. Marie. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $299 in Sault Ste. Marie – so Sault Ste. Marie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

12:20 12:20 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

73,368

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sault Ste. Marie 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,089 in Sault Ste. Marie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Sault Ste. Marie – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Sault Ste. Marie at $2,059. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sault Ste. Marie 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 $1,835 in Nosara to $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sault Ste. Marie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.