Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and St Helens

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $1,993 in St Helens, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
97

Cost of Living Index in St Helens
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St Helens Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

St Helens

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$1,993

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in St Helens

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,993 in St Helens, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
St Helens $1,993

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,045 in St Helens, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
St Helens $3,045

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,098 in St Helens, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
St Helens $4,098

Nosara is about 8% cheaper than St Helens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and St Helens sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, St Helens by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$26.90 £20.18

-54.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$78.6 £59.0

-22.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.48 £7.86

-28.24%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$4.08 £3.06

8.09%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.37 £1.78

-26.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.99 £1.50

-34.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.36 £4.02

-38.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.54 £3.41

-1.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.34 £1.01

16.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.77 £1.33

70.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.94 £1.46

29.38%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.01 £3.01

-10.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.00 £6.75

-17.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$8.28 £6.21

27.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.66 £7.99

31.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.25 £2.44

-27.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.30 £0.97

23.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.03 £2.27

58.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.45 £2.59

-53.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.15 £0.86

230.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.83 £1.37

101.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.30 £0.98

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.30 £0.98

104.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$19.59 £14.70

-73.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.96 £7.47

99.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.86 £2.14

1.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.61 £1.95

39.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.65 £1.99

-57.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$100 £75.1

-27.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.37 £2.53

-36.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.07 £1.56

-24.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$15.82 £11.87

-46.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.94 £1.46

-21.65%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$26.4K £19.8K

-18.18%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$33.6K £25.2K

2.61%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$365 £274

-73.59%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$17.20 £12.91

108.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$43.87 £32.91

22.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$26.94 £20.21

165.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$3.85 £2.89

806.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.42 £10.07

-41.21%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$805 £604

-38.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,625 £4,971

78.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$65.0 £48.78

-17.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$39.08 £29.32

41.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$72.3 £54.3

7.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$109 £81.7

-26.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$797 £598

-1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$636 £477

24.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,503 £1,128

162.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,257 £943

12.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,315 £2,487

108.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,308 £1,731

-46.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,863 £1,398

-53.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.21

65.45%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for St Helens: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

St Helens

$636 31.9% 20% $159

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

St Helens

$276 13.9% 21.6% $76

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

St Helens

$349 17.5% 64.7% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

St Helens

$426 21.4% 129% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

St Helens

$128 6.4% 6.9% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

St Helens

$54 2.7% 38.5% $34

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

St Helens

$124 6.2% 42.9% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $797 in St Helens. 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 116% higher in St Helens, 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 $79.0 in St Helens. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $276 in St Helens – so St Helens wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇧 St Helens

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

13:16 1:16 PM

7 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

183,200

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, 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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara St Helens 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
St Helens

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 Helens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,993 in St Helens – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,989 in St Helens. 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 38% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $805 in St Helens. 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 $1,839, than in St Helens at $1,993. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in St Helens 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $1,993 in St Helens. 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 Helens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.