Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Simpson Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,851 in Simpson Bay, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Simpson Bay

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Simpson Bay

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $3,851 in Simpson Bay, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Simpson Bay $3,851

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $6,504 in Simpson Bay, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Simpson Bay $6,504

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $9,157 in Simpson Bay, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Simpson Bay $9,157

Nosara is about 52% cheaper than Simpson Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Simpson Bay sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Simpson Bay by 187%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$19.11 ANG 34.22

-36.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$131 ANG 234

-54.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$12.78 ANG 22.88

-41.00%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.44 ANG 7.96

-2.93%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.91 ANG 5.22

-40.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$3.04 ANG 5.44

-55.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$5.43 ANG 9.73

-40.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$4.11 ANG 7.36

9.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$4.03 ANG 7.21

-61.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.81 ANG 5.02

12.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.09 ANG 5.53

-21.68%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.49 ANG 8.04

-20.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$24.93 ANG 44.63

-70.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$13.40 ANG 23.98

-22.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$16.98 ANG 30.39

-19.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.26 ANG 7.63

-45.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$3.55 ANG 6.35

-54.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$6.32 ANG 11.31

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$5.06 ANG 9.05

-67.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.96 ANG 7.08

-6.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$3.44 ANG 6.16

3.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$3.06 ANG 5.47

-64.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.47 ANG 2.64

73.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$15.22 ANG 27.24

31.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.79 ANG 3.20

97.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$3.08 ANG 5.51

-61.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$15.22 ANG 27.24

-85.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.27 ANG 2.27

23.62%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$502 ANG 899

-81.38%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$35.56 ANG 63.7

-1.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$87.6 ANG 157

-41.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$74.8 ANG 134

-4.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.18 ANG 14.65

-4.16%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$761 ANG 1,362

-35.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$12.0K ANG 21.6K

-1.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$50.6 ANG 90.6

5.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$39.59 ANG 70.9

40.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$99.5 ANG 178

-20.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$59.5 ANG 106

32.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$2,330 ANG 4,171

-66.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$2,273 ANG 4,069

-65.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$6,007 ANG 10.8K

-35.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$5,604 ANG 10.0K

-74.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Simpson Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Simpson Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Simpson Bay

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Simpson Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Simpson Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Simpson Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Simpson Bay

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Simpson Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $2,330 in Simpson Bay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $131 in Simpson Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $467 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇸🇽 Simpson Bay

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

04:23 4:23 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

6,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.498 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ANG, 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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.498 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Simpson Bay 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Simpson Bay

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 Simpson Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $3,851 in Simpson Bay – roughly 110% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $5,776 in Simpson Bay. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $131 in Simpson Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Simpson Bay, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Simpson Bay at $3,851. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Simpson Bay 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $3,851 in Simpson Bay. 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, Simpson Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.