Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Parry Sound and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,228 in Parry Sound, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Parry Sound outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Parry Sound
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,228
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Parry Sound 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 Parry Sound and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,228 per month in Parry Sound vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Parry Sound $2,228
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,142 per month in Parry Sound vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Parry Sound $3,142
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,057 per month in Parry Sound vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Parry Sound $4,057
  • Nosara $3,712

Parry Sound costs about 21% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Parry Sound and Nosara sit above the global median – Parry Sound by 66%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Parry Sound
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.53 CA$24.98
$12.22 ₡5,509
43.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.6 CA$73.6
$60.2 ₡27.1K
-14.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.64 CA$15.17
$7.54 ₡3,399
41.11%
Cappuccino
$3.19 CA$4.54
$4.31 ₡1,941
-25.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 CA$2.02
$1.72 ₡773
-17.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 CA$1.47
$1.35 ₡608
-23.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.60 CA$5.13
$3.24 ₡1,459
11.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.29 CA$6.11
$4.48 ₡2,018
-4.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Parry Sound
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.99 CA$2.84
$1.57 ₡707
26.75%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 CA$3.16
$3.17 ₡1,429
-29.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 CA$2.19
$2.42 ₡1,091
-36.36%
Eggs
$3.12 CA$4.45
$3.57 ₡1,609
-12.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.26 CA$6.07
$7.43 ₡3,349
-42.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.40 CA$14.82
$10.42 ₡4,697
-0.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.12 CA$10.15
$13.66 ₡6,156
-47.88%
Apples (1kg)
$3.43 CA$4.89
$2.32 ₡1,044
47.84%
Banana (1kg)
$0.72 CA$1.03
$1.61 ₡728
-55.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.73 CA$1.04
$4.74 ₡2,138
-84.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 CA$3.02
$1.66 ₡747
27.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 CA$2.30
$3.72 ₡1,679
-56.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.35 CA$1.93
$3.57 ₡1,611
-62.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.42 CA$2.02
$1.10 ₡497
29.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 CA$2.10
$2.55 ₡1,149
-41.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.79 CA$16.81
$4.95 ₡2,232
138.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.28 CA$16.07
$20.01 ₡9,020
-43.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86 CA$4.07
$2.79 ₡1,256
2.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 CA$4.94
$3.53 ₡1,589
-1.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Parry Sound
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.19 ₡537
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.57 CA$12.22
$2.24 ₡1,011
282.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.55 ₡701
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.21 CA$25.96
$8.86 ₡3,993
105.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.09 CA$1.56
$1.57 ₡708
-30.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K CA$40.0K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
28.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.8K CA$25.4K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-48.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Parry Sound
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 CA$177
$93.5 ₡42.1K
32.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.07 CA$38.59
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-22.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.69 CA$63.7
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-13.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Parry Sound
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.00 CA$47.04
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-53.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.20 CA$14.54
$7.84 ₡3,535
30.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Parry Sound
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$864 CA$1,231
$490 ₡220.7K
76.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.8K CA$39.7K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
134.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Parry Sound
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.53 CA$60.6
$53.5 ₡24.1K
-20.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.48 CA$53.4
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-32.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.2 CA$133
$79.3 ₡35.7K
17.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 CA$147
$78.9 ₡35.6K
30.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Parry Sound
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,069 CA$1,524
$786 ₡354.3K
36.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,342 CA$1,913
$780 ₡351.6K
72.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,121 CA$3,024
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-45.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,072 CA$2,953
$1,407 ₡634.4K
47.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,201 ₡541.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Parry Sound
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,071 CA$2,951
$876 ₡395.0K
136.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.56
8.62
-47.10%

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

Last update for Parry Sound: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Parry Sound
$1.3K
Nosara
$780 41.9% $562
Groceries & Markets
Parry Sound
$257
Nosara
$350 36.3% $93
Eating Out
Parry Sound
$247
Nosara
$209 15.1% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Parry Sound
$196
Nosara
$180 8.2% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Parry Sound
$124
Nosara
$120 3.1% $3.9
Sport & Entertainment
Parry Sound
$53
Nosara
$87 63% $34
Getting Around
Parry Sound
$8.6 *
Nosara
$87 913% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Parry Sound versus $786 in Nosara. 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 136% higher in Parry Sound, 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 $52.0 in Parry Sound versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $350 – making Parry Sound the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Parry Sound
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
07:47 7:47 AM
05:47 5:47 AM
2 h behind Parry Sound
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,800
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Parry Sound Nosara 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Parry Sound
  • 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
Parry Sound vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Parry Sound and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,228 in Parry Sound, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Parry Sound compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,342 per month in Parry Sound and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Parry Sound and Nosara?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Parry Sound 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 36% cheaper in Parry Sound – 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 $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Parry Sound at $2,228. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Parry Sound it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Parry Sound and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $2,228 in Parry Sound. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Parry Sound 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 Parry Sound and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Parry Sound makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Parry Sound vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?