Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Onchan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Onchan: $1,385 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Onchan
🇮🇲 Isle of Man
$1,385
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Onchan and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Onchan and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,385 per month in Onchan vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Onchan $1,385
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,252 per month in Onchan vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Onchan $2,252
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,119 per month in Onchan vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Onchan $3,119
  • Nosara $3,712

Onchan is about 25% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Onchan and Nosara sit above the global median – Onchan by 3%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Onchan
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$28.20 IMP 21.35
$12.22 ₡5,509
130.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118 IMP 89.0
$60.2 ₡27.1K
95.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.77 IMP 8.91
$7.54 ₡3,399
56.10%
Cappuccino
$5.06 IMP 3.83
$4.31 ₡1,941
17.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 IMP 2.01
$1.72 ₡773
54.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 IMP 1.59
$1.35 ₡608
55.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.64 IMP 5.03
$3.24 ₡1,459
104.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.07 IMP 4.60
$4.48 ₡2,018
35.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Onchan
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.91 IMP 1.44
$1.57 ₡707
21.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.70 IMP 2.04
$3.17 ₡1,429
-14.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.11 IMP 1.60
$2.42 ₡1,091
-12.81%
Eggs
$5.33 IMP 4.04
$3.57 ₡1,609
49.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.02 IMP 6.07
$7.43 ₡3,349
7.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.80 IMP 6.66
$10.42 ₡4,697
-15.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.46 IMP 9.43
$13.66 ₡6,156
-8.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.91 IMP 2.20
$2.32 ₡1,044
25.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 IMP 1.40
$1.61 ₡728
14.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.88 IMP 2.94
$4.74 ₡2,138
-18.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.58 IMP 2.71
$1.66 ₡747
115.66%
Potato (1kg)
$2.96 IMP 2.24
$3.72 ₡1,679
-20.43%
Onion (1kg)
$2.96 IMP 2.24
$3.57 ₡1,611
-17.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.16 IMP 1.63
$1.10 ₡497
96.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.68 IMP 2.03
$2.55 ₡1,149
5.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.86 IMP 17.30
$4.95 ₡2,232
361.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.02 IMP 9.10
$20.01 ₡9,020
-39.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.45 IMP 3.37
$2.79 ₡1,256
59.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.18 IMP 3.16
$3.53 ₡1,589
18.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Onchan
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.19 ₡537
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.92 IMP 3.72
$2.24 ₡1,011
119.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.45 IMP 1.10
$1.55 ₡701
-6.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$80.8 IMP 61.1
$8.86 ₡3,993
811.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 IMP 1.45
$1.57 ₡708
21.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.3K IMP 32.8K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
98.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.7K IMP 33.1K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
26.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Onchan
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$342 IMP 259
$93.5 ₡42.1K
266.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.0 IMP 46.90
$35.11 ₡15.8K
76.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.8 IMP 54.3
$51.5 ₡23.2K
39.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Onchan
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.73 IMP 11.91
$7.84 ₡3,535
100.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Onchan
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,767 IMP 1,337
$490 ₡220.7K
260.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$52.6K IMP 39.8K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
342.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Onchan
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.3 IMP 74.4
$53.5 ₡24.1K
83.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.62 IMP 34.53
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-18.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 IMP 83.5
$79.3 ₡35.7K
39.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$70.6 IMP 53.5
$78.9 ₡35.6K
-10.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Onchan
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$786 ₡354.3K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$780 ₡351.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,201 ₡541.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Onchan
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$876 ₡395.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.76
8.62
-44.78%

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

Last update for Onchan: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Onchan
$476
Nosara
$180 62.2% $296
Eating Out
Onchan
$386
Nosara
$209 45.7% $177
Groceries & Markets
Onchan
$351
Nosara
$350 0.3% $1.1
Clothing & Footwear
Onchan
$146
Nosara
$120 17.7% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Onchan
$31 *
Nosara
$87 177% $56
Getting Around
Onchan
$12 *
Nosara
$87 614% $75
Accommodation & Living
Onchan
- *
Nosara
$780

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Onchan versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇲 Onchan
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
02:53 2:53 AM
19:53 7:53 PM
7 h behind Onchan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
26,218
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IMP – Isle of Man Pound Converter

Isle of Man Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 IMP (1 IMP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.849 IMP (1 IMP = 1.18 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Onchan Nosara 8,540 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Onchan
  • Nosara

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
Onchan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Onchan and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,385 in Onchan, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Onchan compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,077 per month in Onchan and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Onchan and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Onchan, where all-in costs run around $1,385, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Onchan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Onchan and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,385 in Onchan to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Onchan or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Onchan and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Onchan. 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.

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