Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Waterloo

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,248 in Waterloo, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo
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Waterloo Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Waterloo

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,248

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Waterloo

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $2,248 in Waterloo, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Waterloo $2,248

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $3,262 in Waterloo, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Waterloo $3,262

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $4,276 in Waterloo, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Waterloo $4,276

Nosara is about 18% cheaper than Waterloo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Waterloo sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Waterloo by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$17.76 CA$25.31

-31.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$55.7 CA$79.3

8.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$9.93 CA$14.15

-24.07%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$2.96 CA$4.21

45.61%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.92 CA$2.74

-10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.30 CA$1.86

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$5.11 CA$7.28

-36.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.74 CA$8.18

-21.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$2.00 CA$2.84

-21.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.31 CA$3.29

37.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.40 CA$3.42

0.83%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.82 CA$4.02

26.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$11.18 CA$15.94

-33.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$15.25 CA$21.73

-31.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$16.01 CA$22.83

-14.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.53 CA$5.03

-34.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.17 CA$1.67

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.47 CA$4.95

36.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.47 CA$4.95

-52.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.36 CA$1.93

173.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.87 CA$2.66

90.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.65 CA$2.36

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.19 CA$1.70

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$12.75 CA$18.17

-61.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$9.81 CA$13.98

103.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.33 CA$3.33

19.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.75 CA$3.92

28.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$2.57 CA$3.67

-53.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$69.5 CA$99.0

3.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.39 CA$3.41

-6.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.78 CA$2.54

-12.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$28.53 CA$40.67

-68.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.20 CA$1.71

30.83%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$27.6K CA$39.3K

-20.98%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$18.8K CA$26.8K

84.17%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$140 CA$200

-33.46%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$28.89 CA$41.18

21.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$45.13 CA$64.3

14.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$36.75 CA$52.4

94.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$19.38 CA$27.62

82.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$11.56 CA$16.48

-32.18%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$523 CA$746

-6.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$16.2K CA$23.1K

-26.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$54.4 CA$77.6

-1.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$30.22 CA$43.07

84.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$73.7 CA$105

7.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$71.2 CA$102

10.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,377 CA$1,963

-42.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,152 CA$1,643

-32.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,135 CA$3,043

80.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,846 CA$2,631

-23.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$5,254 CA$7,489

32.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$4,789 CA$6,826

-74.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$2,904 CA$4,139

-69.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.09

69.35%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Waterloo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Waterloo

$1.2K 51.9% 47.8% $373

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Waterloo

$343 15.5% 1.8% $6.3

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Waterloo

$257 11.6% 22.8% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Waterloo

$214 9.7% 19.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Waterloo

$103 4.7% 14.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Waterloo

$60 2.7% 31.2% $27

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Waterloo

$91 4.1% 4.8% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,377 in Waterloo. 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 231% higher in Waterloo, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $56.0 in Waterloo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $343 – making Waterloo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇦 Waterloo

🕒 Local time

21:08 9:08 PM

23:08 11:08 PM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

121,436

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Waterloo 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Waterloo

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 Waterloo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $2,248 in Waterloo – roughly 22% 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 $3,372 in Waterloo. 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 $523 in Waterloo. 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 $1,837, than in Waterloo at $2,248. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waterloo 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $2,248 in Waterloo. 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, Waterloo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.