Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Thompson

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Thompson: $1,837 and $1,808 a month, rent and utilities included.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Thompson
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Thompson Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Thompson

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Thompson

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,808 in Thompson, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Thompson $1,808

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,730 in Thompson, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Thompson $2,730

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,652 in Thompson, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Thompson $3,652

Nosara costs about 2% more than Thompson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Thompson sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Thompson by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$17.37 CA$24.71

-29.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$63.3 CA$90.0

-4.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.63 CA$15.12

-29.07%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.62 CA$5.15

19.06%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.96 CA$2.79

-12.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.62 CA$2.30

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$5.33 CA$7.58

-39.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.60 CA$7.97

-20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.13 CA$3.02

-26.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.49 CA$3.55

27.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$3.20 CA$4.56

-24.38%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$3.33 CA$4.74

7.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$10.09 CA$14.35

-26.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$11.46 CA$16.30

-9.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$14.70 CA$20.91

-7.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.65 CA$5.19

-36.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.17 CA$1.67

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.77 CA$5.37

25.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$4.16 CA$5.92

-60.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.40 CA$3.42

55.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.20 CA$3.13

62.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.42 CA$3.44

-54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.60 CA$2.27

59.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$13.73 CA$19.53

-63.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$12.67 CA$18.02

57.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.69 CA$3.83

3.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.04 CA$4.32

16.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.20 CA$3.13

-45.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$67.2 CA$95.5

7.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.86 CA$4.07

-21.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.38 CA$1.97

12.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$22.69 CA$32.27

-60.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.12 CA$1.60

40.18%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$27.8K CA$39.6K

-21.66%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$20.4K CA$29.1K

69.51%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$137 CA$195

-31.82%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$37.96 CA$54.0

-7.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$53.0 CA$75.4

-2.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$41.03 CA$58.4

74.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$15.67 CA$22.28

126.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$10.96 CA$15.59

-28.47%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$641 CA$911

-23.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$13.8K CA$19.6K

-13.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$53.5 CA$76.0

0.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$38.21 CA$54.4

45.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$84.0 CA$120

-5.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$102 CA$145

-22.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$672 CA$956

16.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$674 CA$958

15.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,090 CA$1,551

254.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,116 CA$1,587

26.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$4,094 CA$5,823

70.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$4,002 CA$5,693

-70.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$1,531 CA$2,178

-42.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.64

85.78%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Thompson: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Thompson

$674 37.6% 13.6% $106

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Thompson

$350 19.6% 0.3% $1

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Thompson

$266 14.9% 27.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Thompson

$228 12.7% 26.6% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Thompson

$125 7% 3.9% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Thompson

$63 3.5% 27.7% $24

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Thompson

$86 4.8% 1.3% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $672 in Thompson. 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 75% higher in Thompson, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $63.0 in Thompson. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Thompson

🕒 Local time

05:14 5:14 AM

06:14 6:14 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

12,829

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Thompson 5,200 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Thompson

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 Thompson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,808 in Thompson – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,712 in Thompson. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thompson, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Thompson. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $641 in Thompson. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Thompson, where all-in costs run around $1,808, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Thompson 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 $1,808 in Thompson 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 Thompson. 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.