Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Thunder Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,179 in Thunder Bay, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Thunder Bay
Learn more

Thunder Bay Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Thunder Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,179

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Thunder Bay

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,179 in Thunder Bay, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Thunder Bay $2,179

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $3,301 in Thunder Bay, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Thunder Bay $3,301

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $4,423 in Thunder Bay, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Thunder Bay $4,423

Nosara is about 16% cheaper than Thunder Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Thunder Bay sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Thunder Bay by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$17.59 CA$24.87

-29.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$60.1 CA$84.9

1.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$12.43 CA$17.57

-39.50%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.31 CA$4.68

33.23%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.86 CA$2.63

-6.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.56 CA$2.20

-16.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.33 CA$7.53

-38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$4.98 CA$7.04

-10.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.28 CA$3.23

-31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.59 CA$3.67

16.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.33 CA$4.71

-24.62%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.58 CA$5.06

-0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$16.32 CA$23.08

-54.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$15.86 CA$22.42

-33.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$16.23 CA$22.94

-13.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.31 CA$4.68

-29.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.16 CA$1.64

38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.91 CA$5.53

22.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.48 CA$4.92

-53.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.48 CA$3.51

53.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.12 CA$3.00

74.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.85 CA$4.03

-60.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.27 CA$3.22

17.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$10.55 CA$14.92

-50.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.93 CA$12.62

122.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.01 CA$2.85

44.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.01 CA$4.26

20.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.24 CA$3.17

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$63.5 CA$89.7

14.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$5.00 CA$7.07

-57.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.05 CA$2.90

-23.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$34.37 CA$48.58

-75.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.18 CA$1.66

28.81%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$27.3K CA$38.6K

-20.90%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$18.9K CA$26.7K

82.59%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$160 CA$226

-39.65%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$56.8 CA$80.3

-36.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$80.8 CA$114

-33.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$28.63 CA$40.48

150.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$17.26 CA$24.41

102.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$17.28 CA$24.43

-54.34%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$663 CA$937

-25.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$77.0 CA$109

-29.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$34.56 CA$48.86

60.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$76.5 CA$108

1.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$131 CA$185

-39.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,040 CA$1,471

-24.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$925 CA$1,308

-14.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,837 CA$2,597

114.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,675 CA$2,368

-15.28%

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

$2,601 CA$3,677

-66.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.58

88.21%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Thunder Bay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Thunder Bay

$925 42.5% 16.4% $131

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Thunder Bay

$394 18.1% 11.9% $42

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Thunder Bay

$268 12.3% 26.5% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Thunder Bay

$297 13.6% 59.9% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Thunder Bay

$143 6.6% 19.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Thunder Bay

$63 2.9% 27.7% $24

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Thunder Bay

$88 4% 0.7% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,040 in Thunder Bay. 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 201% higher in Thunder Bay, 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 $60.0 in Thunder Bay. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $394 in Thunder Bay – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Thunder Bay

🕒 Local time

11:38 11:38 AM

13:38 1:38 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

107,909

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Thunder Bay 4,290 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Thunder Bay

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 Thunder Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,179 in Thunder Bay – roughly 18% 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 $3,268 in Thunder Bay. 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 14% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $663 in Thunder Bay. 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 Thunder Bay at $2,179. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thunder Bay 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 $2,179 in Thunder Bay. 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, Thunder Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.