Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Providenciales and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,534 in Providenciales, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89.41

Cost of Living Index in Providenciales
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Providenciales Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Providenciales

🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands

$3,534

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,534 per month in Providenciales vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Providenciales $3,534
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $5,981 per month in Providenciales vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Providenciales $5,981
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $8,428 per month in Providenciales vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Providenciales $8,428
Nosara $3,712

Providenciales costs about 92% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Providenciales and Nosara sit above the global median – Providenciales by 164%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.02 $18.02

$12.22 ₡5,509

47.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$60.2 ₡27.1K

98.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 $11.06

$7.54 ₡3,399

46.68%

Cappuccino

$5.95 $5.95

$4.31 ₡1,941

38.05%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$1.72 ₡773

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.35 ₡608

62.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.24 ₡1,459

53.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.48 ₡2,018

52.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.57 ₡707

212.74%

White Bread (500g)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.17 ₡1,429

87.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.42 ₡1,091

108.26%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.28 $20.28

$10.42 ₡4,697

94.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 $17.71

$13.66 ₡6,156

29.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.32 ₡1,044

69.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.61 ₡728

45.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$4.74 ₡2,138

-46.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.57 ₡1,611

-44.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.55 ₡1,149

36.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.34 $20.34

$20.01 ₡9,020

1.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.24 ₡1,011

36.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.57 ₡708

39.49%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

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

$404 $404

$93.5 ₡42.1K

332.15%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$35.11 ₡15.8K

94.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$141 $141

$51.5 ₡23.2K

174.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.9 $98.9

$71.4 ₡32.2K

38.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

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

$490 $490

$490 ₡220.7K

0.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K $13.1K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

10.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 $80.4

$53.5 ₡24.1K

50.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 $59.7

$55.8 ₡25.1K

6.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 $150

$79.3 ₡35.7K

89.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 $98.3

$78.9 ₡35.6K

24.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 $1,735

$786 ₡354.3K

120.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$780 ₡351.6K

138.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,662 $4,662

$3,860 ₡1.7M

20.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,053 $5,053

$1,407 ₡634.4K

259.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,196 $2,196

$1,201 ₡541.3K

82.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,366 $2,366

$876 ₡395.0K

170.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-18.79%

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

Last update for Providenciales: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Providenciales

$1.9K 53.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 58.1% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Providenciales

$613 17.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 70.6% $433

Groceries & Markets

Providenciales

$413 * 11.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 15.4% $64

Eating Out

Providenciales

$308 8.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 32% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Providenciales

$175 5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 31.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Providenciales

$99 * 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 11.9% $12

Getting Around

Providenciales

$3.1 * 0.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 2738% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,735 in Providenciales 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 170% higher in Providenciales, 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 $119 in Providenciales versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $413 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇨 Providenciales

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:02 5:02 AM

03:02 3:02 AM

2 h behind Providenciales

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,769

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Providenciales Nosara 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Providenciales
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

Providenciales vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,534 in Providenciales, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 92% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,301 per month in Providenciales 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in Providenciales and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Providenciales, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Providenciales at $3,534. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Providenciales 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 $3,534 in Providenciales. 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, Providenciales makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.