Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Spanish Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Spanish Town: $994 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Spanish Town
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Spanish Town Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Spanish Town

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Spanish Town

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 Spanish Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $994 in Spanish Town, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Spanish Town $994

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,895 in Spanish Town, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Spanish Town $1,895

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,796 in Spanish Town, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Spanish Town $2,796

Nosara costs about 85% more than Spanish Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Spanish Town is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$13.25 JMD 2,094

-6.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$74.2 JMD 11.7K

-17.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.01 JMD 1,265

-6.12%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.31 JMD 840

-16.95%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.14 JMD 179

52.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.74 JMD 117

77.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$2.25 JMD 355

45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.06 JMD 483

46.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$4.14 JMD 655

-62.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.76 JMD 594

-19.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.65 JMD 260

52.12%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.56 JMD 562

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.22 JMD 1,773

-33.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.38 JMD 1,008

64.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.21 JMD 1,614

36.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$6.16 JMD 973

-61.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.85 JMD 609

-58.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$7.38 JMD 1,166

-34.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.06 JMD 483

-47.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.17 JMD 500

19.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.13 JMD 336

73.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$3.09 JMD 489

-63.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.45 JMD 228

83.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$9.46 JMD 1,494

-45.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$11.20 JMD 1,769

77.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.78 JMD 439

4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.95 JMD 624

-8.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.16 JMD 183

84.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$3.05 JMD 483

-48.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$6.21 JMD 981

37.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.46 JMD 231

4.11%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$43.9K JMD 6.9M

-50.79%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

7.20%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$165 JMD 26.1K

-41.78%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$29.30 JMD 4,629

22.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$51.8 JMD 8,179

3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.95 JMD 2,047

-39.07%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$356 JMD 56.3K

38.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,212 JMD 1.3M

44.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$23.80 JMD 3,760

126.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$31.13 JMD 4,918

78.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$76.3 JMD 12.1K

2.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$100 JMD 15.9K

-20.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$633 JMD 100.0K

522.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$499 JMD 78.9K

184.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,155 JMD 182.5K

-25.23%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Spanish Town: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Spanish Town

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Spanish Town

$382 38.5% 8.6% $30

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Spanish Town

$219 22% 3.2% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Spanish Town

$246 24.8% 32.7% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Spanish Town

$104 10.5% 13.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Spanish Town

$26 * 2.6% 70.3% $61

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Spanish Town

$16 * 1.7% 81.1% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 34% higher in Spanish Town, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $74.0 in Spanish Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $382 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇯🇲 Spanish Town

🕒 Local time

21:38 9:38 PM

22:38 10:38 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

131,056

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Spanish Town 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Spanish Town

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 Spanish Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $994 in Spanish Town – roughly 85% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,491 in Spanish Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $74.0 in Spanish Town. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% 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 Spanish Town, where all-in costs run around $994, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Spanish Town 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 $994 in Spanish Town to $1,839 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 Spanish Town. 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.