Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Coquitlam, BC and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,485 in Port Coquitlam, BC, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Port Coquitlam, BC
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Port Coquitlam, BC Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Port Coquitlam, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,485

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,485 per month in Port Coquitlam, BC vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Port Coquitlam, BC $2,485
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,403 per month in Port Coquitlam, BC vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Port Coquitlam, BC $3,403
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,320 per month in Port Coquitlam, BC vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Port Coquitlam, BC $4,320
Nosara $3,818

Port Coquitlam, BC costs about 35% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Port Coquitlam, BC and Nosara sit above the global median – Port Coquitlam, BC by 84%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.22 CA$20.10

$12.35 ₡5,539

15.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$61.2 ₡27.4K

15.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.57 CA$12.11

$7.52 ₡3,373

13.96%

Cappuccino

$3.40 CA$4.81

$4.41 ₡1,978

-22.90%

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

$2.12 CA$2.99

$1.74 ₡780

21.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.31 ₡587

20.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 CA$7.99

$3.28 ₡1,471

72.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.99

$4.47 ₡2,004

42.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 CA$2.50

$1.56 ₡701

13.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$3.02 ₡1,355

-17.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

$2.51 ₡1,125

43.43%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.42

$3.57 ₡1,603

-12.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 CA$16.66

$7.43 ₡3,333

58.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.49 CA$17.65

$10.52 ₡4,717

18.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 CA$20.03

$13.97 ₡6,265

1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.60

$2.35 ₡1,052

68.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.87

$1.61 ₡720

-18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.32

$4.80 ₡2,152

-21.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.54

$1.61 ₡724

143.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$3.80 ₡1,703

-30.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 CA$3.43

$3.69 ₡1,657

-34.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CA$3.52

$1.13 ₡507

120.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$2.66 ₡1,191

-41.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.64 CA$22.11

$5.18 ₡2,321

201.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.07 CA$19.89

$19.88 ₡8,916

-29.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.90 ₡1,300

-8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CA$4.04

$3.63 ₡1,626

-21.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 CA$2.87

$1.12 ₡504

81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CA$154

$72.6 ₡32.6K

49.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$2.14 ₡958

24.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 CA$2.29

$1.57 ₡703

3.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.78 CA$43.51

$8.52 ₡3,823

261.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.52 ₡682

-9.21%

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

$27.2K CA$38.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

26.07%

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

$20.0K CA$28.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-41.92%

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

$80.6 CA$114

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-16.33%

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

$37.11 CA$52.5

$35.89 ₡16.1K

3.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 CA$72.1

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-4.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.98 CA$29.66

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-70.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 CA$14.93

$7.89 ₡3,539

33.84%

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

$1,106 CA$1,563

$494 ₡221.6K

123.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K CA$28.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

70.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 CA$80.4

$53.9 ₡24.2K

5.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 CA$45.52

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-41.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 CA$117

$77.9 ₡34.9K

6.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 CA$132

$79.6 ₡35.7K

17.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 CA$2,216

$788 ₡353.4K

98.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 CA$2,023

$794 ₡356.2K

80.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 CA$3,009

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-45.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,856 CA$2,624

$1,419 ₡636.5K

30.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,490 CA$7,761

$1,224 ₡549.0K

348.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,284 CA$3,229

$864 ₡387.3K

164.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

8.62

-50.35%

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

Last update for Port Coquitlam, BC: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Coquitlam, BC

$1.4K 57.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 44.5% $637

Groceries & Markets

Port Coquitlam, BC

$361 14.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 2.3% $8.3

Eating Out

Port Coquitlam, BC

$236 9.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 10.3% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Coquitlam, BC

$169 6.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 10.1% $17

Getting Around

Port Coquitlam, BC

$128 5.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 31.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Port Coquitlam, BC

$119 4.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 0.5% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Port Coquitlam, BC

$42 1.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 108% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,568 in Port Coquitlam, BC versus $788 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 164% higher in Port Coquitlam, BC, 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 $71.0 in Port Coquitlam, BC versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Port Coquitlam, BC

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

11:42 11:42 AM

1 h ahead of Port Coquitlam, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,498

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Coquitlam, BC Nosara 5,550 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Coquitlam, BC
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

Port Coquitlam, BC vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,485 in Port Coquitlam, BC, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,728 per month in Port Coquitlam, BC and $2,758 in Nosara. 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 50% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,106 per month in Port Coquitlam, BC and $494 in Nosara. 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 Port Coquitlam, BC at $2,485. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Coquitlam, BC 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 $2,485 in Port Coquitlam, BC. 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, Port Coquitlam, BC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.