Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Thetford Mines

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $1,961 in Thetford Mines, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Thetford Mines outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Thetford Mines
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Thetford Mines Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Thetford Mines

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Thetford Mines

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,961 in Thetford Mines, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Thetford Mines $1,961

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,382 in Thetford Mines, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Thetford Mines $2,382

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,803 in Thetford Mines, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Thetford Mines $2,803

Nosara is about 6% cheaper than Thetford Mines, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Thetford Mines sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Thetford Mines by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.05 CA$15.62

11.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$40.97 CA$57.9

49.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$8.49 CA$12.00

-11.43%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.48 CA$4.92

26.72%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.01 CA$2.84

-13.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.92 CA$1.30

42.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$3.07 CA$4.35

6.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.44 CA$6.28

0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.56 CA$2.20

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.51 CA$3.55

20.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.16 CA$3.06

16.20%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.41 CA$3.40

48.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.01 CA$14.15

-25.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.25 CA$8.84

68.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$13.42 CA$18.97

4.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.05 CA$2.90

14.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.43 CA$2.02

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.08 CA$2.94

130.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.12 CA$2.99

-24.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.90 CA$2.68

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.80 CA$2.55

105.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.60 CA$0.85

88.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.47 CA$2.08

80.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.10 CA$15.70

-53.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.70 CA$15.13

85.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.42 CA$2.00

104.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.86 CA$4.04

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.26 CA$3.20

-50.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$64.1 CA$90.6

13.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.21 CA$4.54

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.48 CA$2.09

6.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$31.73 CA$44.85

-73.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.03 CA$1.46

47.57%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.0K CA$29.7K

2.75%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.8K CA$28.0K

74.09%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$77.3 CA$109

24.55%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$33.73 CA$47.68

6.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$42.02 CA$59.4

27.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$35.46 CA$50.1

101.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$18.02 CA$25.47

93.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.12 CA$15.72

-29.05%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$503 CA$712

-1.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$15.8K CA$22.3K

-24.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$45.04 CA$63.7

19.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$24.38 CA$34.47

127.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$60.4 CA$85.3

29.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$67.6 CA$95.6

17.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,258 CA$1,779

-37.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,124 CA$1,589

-29.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$854 CA$1,207

361.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$923 CA$1,305

53.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$4,311 CA$6,095

60.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,820 CA$5,400

-67.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,244 CA$1,759

-30.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.48

92.41%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Thetford Mines: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Thetford Mines

$1.1K 57.3% 41.6% $330

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Thetford Mines

$262 13.4% 25.7% $91

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Thetford Mines

$192 9.8% 9.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Thetford Mines

$153 7.8% 17.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Thetford Mines

$89 4.5% 26% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Thetford Mines

$58 2.9% 34% $30

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Thetford Mines

$84 4.3% 3.9% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,258 in Thetford Mines. 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 44% higher in Thetford Mines, 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 $41.00 in Thetford Mines. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $262 – making Thetford Mines the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Thetford Mines

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

13:12 1:12 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

26,072

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Thetford Mines 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Thetford Mines

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 Thetford Mines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thetford Mines costs about 7% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $2,942 in Thetford Mines. 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 13% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $503 in Thetford Mines. 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 Thetford Mines at $1,961. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thetford Mines 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 $1,961 in Thetford Mines. 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, Thetford Mines makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.