Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and St.Catharines

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,309 in St.Catharines, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
112

Cost of Living Index in St.Catharines
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St.Catharines Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

St.Catharines

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,309

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in St.Catharines

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 St.Catharines actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,309 in St.Catharines, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
St.Catharines $2,309

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,210 in St.Catharines, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
St.Catharines $3,210

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,111 in St.Catharines, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
St.Catharines $4,111

Nosara is about 21% cheaper than St.Catharines, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nosara and St.Catharines sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, St.Catharines by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$14.32 CA$20.24

-13.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$57.6 CA$81.5

6.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$12.63 CA$17.86

-38.56%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.03 CA$4.29

46.53%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.65 CA$2.34

8.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.60 CA$2.27

-19.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$4.65 CA$6.58

-30.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$4.61 CA$6.52

-3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$2.09 CA$2.96

-25.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.18 CA$3.08

41.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.60 CA$6.50

-45.00%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$4.28 CA$6.06

-19.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$14.90 CA$21.06

-50.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$11.22 CA$15.86

-8.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$14.04 CA$19.85

0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.19 CA$7.34

-55.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.11 CA$1.57

47.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.36 CA$6.17

9.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.14 CA$5.85

-60.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.82 CA$3.99

36.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$4.39 CA$6.20

-14.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.60 CA$3.67

-58.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$1.29 CA$1.83

100.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$13.73 CA$19.41

-62.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$12.65 CA$17.88

57.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$3.00 CA$4.24

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.02 CA$4.28

16.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.46 CA$3.48

-50.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$70.9 CA$100

4.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.88 CA$4.07

-24.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$2.22 CA$3.14

-29.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$22.28 CA$31.50

-61.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.15 CA$1.63

34.78%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.4K CA$37.4K

30.76%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$22.0K CA$31.1K

76.26%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$178 CA$251

-46.70%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$33.39 CA$47.21

8.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$47.75 CA$67.5

11.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$31.41 CA$44.41

134.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$41.10 CA$58.1

-13.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$11.04 CA$15.60

-28.35%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$504 CA$713

-2.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$27.6K CA$39.0K

-56.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$73.6 CA$104

-25.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$52.2 CA$73.8

7.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$80.1 CA$113

0.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$76.7 CA$108

1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,210 CA$1,710

-33.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,159 CA$1,638

-31.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,707 CA$2,413

134.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,557 CA$2,201

-9.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$3,026 CA$4,277

133.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,705 CA$3,824

-54.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$2,969 CA$4,198

-70.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.71

50.96%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for St.Catharines: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

St.Catharines

$1.2K 50.2% 46.8% $369

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

St.Catharines

$381 16.5% 9.1% $32

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

St.Catharines

$234 10.2% 10.2% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

St.Catharines

$259 11.2% 40.8% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

St.Catharines

$127 5.5% 5.1% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

St.Catharines

$53 2.3% 40.3% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

St.Catharines

$95 4.1% 6.7% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,210 in St.Catharines. 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 235% higher in St.Catharines, 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 $58.0 in St.Catharines. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $381 in St.Catharines – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 St.Catharines

🕒 Local time

01:32 1:32 AM

03:32 3:32 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

133,113

💱 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 St.Catharines 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
St.Catharines

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 St.Catharines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $2,309 in St.Catharines – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $3,464 in St.Catharines. 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 4% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $504 in St.Catharines. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in St.Catharines at $2,309. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in St.Catharines 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 $2,309 in St.Catharines. 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, St.Catharines makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.