Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Sint Nicolaas

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas: $139 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Sint Nicolaas

🇦🇼 Aruba

$139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Sint Nicolaas

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $139 in Sint Nicolaas, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Sint Nicolaas $139

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $334 in Sint Nicolaas, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Sint Nicolaas $334

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $529 in Sint Nicolaas, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Sint Nicolaas $529

Nosara costs about 1225% more than Sint Nicolaas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Sint Nicolaas is 90% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$16.76 AWG 30.00

-27.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$44.87 AWG 80.3

34.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.09 AWG 1.95

23.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

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 Sint Nicolaas: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $45.00 in Sint Nicolaas. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇼 Sint Nicolaas

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

07:47 7:47 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

18,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.499 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, 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).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.499 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Sint Nicolaas 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Sint Nicolaas

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 Sint Nicolaas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $139 in Sint Nicolaas – roughly 1225% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $208 in Sint Nicolaas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $139 in Sint Nicolaas. That's a gap of about 1225%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $45.00 in Sint Nicolaas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sint Nicolaas, where all-in costs run around $139, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Sint Nicolaas 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 $139 in Sint Nicolaas 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 Sint Nicolaas. 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.