Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Lincoln and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,530 in Port Lincoln, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Port Lincoln
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Port Lincoln Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Port Lincoln

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,530

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,530 per month in Port Lincoln vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Port Lincoln $2,530
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,626 per month in Port Lincoln vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Port Lincoln $3,626
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,723 per month in Port Lincoln vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Port Lincoln $4,723
Nosara $3,712

Port Lincoln costs about 38% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Port Lincoln and Nosara sit above the global median – Port Lincoln by 89%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.29

$12.22 ₡5,509

44.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 A$123

$60.2 ₡27.1K

41.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 A$15.34

$7.54 ₡3,399

41.64%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.82

$4.31 ₡1,941

-6.03%

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

$2.86 A$4.11

$1.72 ₡773

66.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

$1.35 ₡608

65.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 A$11.28

$3.24 ₡1,459

142.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 A$11.33

$4.48 ₡2,018

76.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.57 ₡707

5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 A$3.84

$3.17 ₡1,429

-15.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.12

$2.42 ₡1,091

-10.33%

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.21

$3.57 ₡1,609

40.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.53

$7.43 ₡3,349

26.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 A$12.93

$10.42 ₡4,697

-13.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.05 A$21.62

$13.66 ₡6,156

10.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 A$5.22

$2.32 ₡1,044

56.90%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.33

$1.61 ₡728

86.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$4.74 ₡2,138

-30.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.84

$1.66 ₡747

186.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.93

$3.72 ₡1,679

-26.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.44

$3.57 ₡1,611

-32.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.38

$1.10 ₡497

113.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.27

$2.55 ₡1,149

-38.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.88 A$57.3

$4.95 ₡2,232

705.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$20.27

$20.01 ₡9,020

-29.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.74

$2.79 ₡1,256

68.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 A$7.68

$3.53 ₡1,589

51.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 A$4.25

$1.19 ₡537

148.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 A$116

$72.1 ₡32.5K

12.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.11

$2.24 ₡1,011

58.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 A$2.26

$1.55 ₡701

1.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.47 A$58.1

$8.86 ₡3,993

356.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.85

$1.57 ₡708

-17.83%

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

$26.9K A$38.7K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

23.49%

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

$30.2K A$43.4K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-12.85%

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

$207 A$297

$93.5 ₡42.1K

121.55%

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

$28.42 A$40.83

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-19.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 A$81.2

$51.5 ₡23.2K

9.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 A$82.2

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-19.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.69 A$25.41

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-50.08%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 A$21.78

$7.84 ₡3,535

93.37%

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

$2,162 A$3,106

$490 ₡220.7K

341.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

73.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 A$111

$53.5 ₡24.1K

43.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 A$77.2

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-3.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$156

$79.3 ₡35.7K

36.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$177

$78.9 ₡35.6K

56.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 A$2,021

$786 ₡354.3K

79.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 A$1,723

$780 ₡351.6K

53.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 A$3,055

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-44.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,803 A$2,590

$1,407 ₡634.4K

28.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,766 A$8,283

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-17.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,904 A$7,044

$1,201 ₡541.3K

308.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

8.62

-32.25%

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

Last update for Port Lincoln: 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

Port Lincoln

$1.2K 47.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 35% $420

Groceries & Markets

Port Lincoln

$367 14.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 4.9% $18

Eating Out

Port Lincoln

$297 11.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 29.5% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Lincoln

$292 11.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 38.3% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Port Lincoln

$163 6.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 26.2% $43

Getting Around

Port Lincoln

$104 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 16.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Port Lincoln

$88 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 0.5% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,407 in Port Lincoln 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Port Lincoln versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Port Lincoln

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

19:11 7:11 PM

16 h 30 min behind Port Lincoln

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,404

4,912

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Lincoln Nosara 14,990 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Lincoln
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 Lincoln vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,530 in Port Lincoln, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,795 per month in Port Lincoln and $2,756 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 12% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,162 per month in Port Lincoln and $490 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 $1,837, than in Port Lincoln at $2,530. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Lincoln 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 $2,530 in Port Lincoln. 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 Lincoln makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.