Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poole and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,654 in Poole, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Poole
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,654
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,654 per month in Poole vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Poole $2,654
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,904 per month in Poole vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Poole $3,904
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,154 per month in Poole vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Poole $5,154
  • Nosara $3,712

Poole costs about 44% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Poole and Nosara sit above the global median – Poole by 98%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Poole
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.17 £17.51
$12.22 ₡5,509
89.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.9 £74.7
$60.2 ₡27.1K
64.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.51 £7.94
$7.54 ₡3,399
39.39%
Cappuccino
$4.70 £3.55
$4.31 ₡1,941
9.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 £2.42
$1.72 ₡773
86.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 £1.53
$1.35 ₡608
50.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.44 £4.87
$3.24 ₡1,459
98.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.04 £5.32
$4.48 ₡2,018
57.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Poole
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 £1.24
$1.57 ₡707
4.46%
White Bread (500g)
$1.49 £1.12
$3.17 ₡1,429
-53.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.21 £1.67
$2.42 ₡1,091
-8.68%
Eggs
$4.27 £3.23
$3.57 ₡1,609
19.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.40 £4.84
$7.43 ₡3,349
-13.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.54 £7.97
$10.42 ₡4,697
1.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.72 £9.61
$13.66 ₡6,156
-6.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 £1.75
$2.32 ₡1,044
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 £1.29
$1.61 ₡728
6.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.96 £1.48
$4.74 ₡2,138
-58.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.19 £1.66
$1.66 ₡747
31.93%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 £1.51
$3.72 ₡1,679
-46.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.43 £1.08
$3.57 ₡1,611
-59.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 £1.41
$1.10 ₡497
69.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 £1.48
$2.55 ₡1,149
-23.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.28 £17.59
$4.95 ₡2,232
370.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.62 £7.27
$20.01 ₡9,020
-51.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.98 £2.25
$2.79 ₡1,256
6.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 £1.84
$3.53 ₡1,589
-30.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Poole
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.00 £3.02
$1.19 ₡537
236.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.6 £57.1
$72.1 ₡32.5K
4.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.40 £2.57
$2.24 ₡1,011
51.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.32 £1.76
$1.55 ₡701
49.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.83 £16.50
$8.86 ₡3,993
146.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.02 £1.52
$1.57 ₡708
28.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.6K £28.4K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
72.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.9K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
18.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Poole
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$356 £269
$93.5 ₡42.1K
281.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.48 £14.72
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-44.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.65 £32.98
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-15.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Poole
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$81.0 £61.2
$71.4 ₡32.2K
13.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$20.89 £15.78
$7.84 ₡3,535
166.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Poole
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,603 £1,212
$490 ₡220.7K
227.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.1K £25.0K
$11.9K ₡5.4M
178.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Poole
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.2 £65.9
$53.5 ₡24.1K
62.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.27 £30.43
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-27.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.9 £74.8
$79.3 ₡35.7K
24.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.4 £63.8
$78.9 ₡35.6K
7.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Poole
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 £892
$786 ₡354.3K
50.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,206 £911
$780 ₡351.6K
54.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,266 £1,712
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-41.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 £1,615
$1,407 ₡634.4K
51.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,071 £1,565
$1,201 ₡541.3K
72.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Poole
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,244 £2,452
$876 ₡395.0K
270.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.96
8.62
-42.46%

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

Last update for Poole: 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
Poole
$1.2K
Nosara
$780 35.3% $426
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Poole
$419
Nosara
$180 57.1% $239
Eating Out
Poole
$340
Nosara
$209 38.5% $131
Groceries & Markets
Poole
$287
Nosara
$350 21.9% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Poole
$140
Nosara
$120 14% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Poole
$123
Nosara
$87 29.1% $36
Getting Around
Poole
$107
Nosara
$87 18.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,180 in Poole 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 270% higher in Poole, 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 $99.0 in Poole versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Poole vs $350 in Nosara – so Poole wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Poole
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
11:58 11:58 AM
04:58 4:58 AM
7 h behind Poole
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
154,718
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 GBP (1 GBP = 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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Poole Nosara 8,710 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Poole
  • 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
Poole vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Poole and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,654 in Poole, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Poole compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,981 per month in Poole 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 Poole 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.
How do commuting costs compare in Poole and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 5% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Poole and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $1,603 per month in Poole and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
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 Poole at $2,654. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Poole it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Poole and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $2,654 in Poole. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Poole 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 Poole and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Poole makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Poole vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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