Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Croix and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Croix: $833 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Saint Croix
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Saint Croix Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Saint Croix

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$833

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $833 per month in Saint Croix vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint Croix $833
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,698 per month in Saint Croix vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint Croix $1,698
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $2,562 per month in Saint Croix vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint Croix $2,562
Nosara $3,814

Saint Croix is about 55% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Saint Croix sits 39% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$40.24 $40.24

$12.34 ₡5,535

226.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 $150

$61.3 ₡27.5K

144.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 $9.99

$7.76 ₡3,481

28.74%

Cappuccino

$7.47 $7.47

$4.44 ₡1,992

68.24%

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

$3.34 $3.34

$1.79 ₡803

86.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.29 ₡580

135.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 $5.84

$3.24 ₡1,451

80.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.78 $7.78

$4.43 ₡1,985

75.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.55 ₡696

57.42%

White Bread (500g)

$7.15 $7.15

$3.08 ₡1,380

132.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$2.53 ₡1,133

337.15%

Eggs

$8.70 $8.70

$3.45 ₡1,546

152.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.20 $22.20

$7.32 ₡3,284

203.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

Apples (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$2.29 ₡1,027

385.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.96 $5.96

$1.09 ₡488

446.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.55 ₡697

-34.84%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

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

$490 ₡219.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$801 ₡359.1K

215.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Saint Croix: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Saint Croix

$512 61.5%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 58.4% $299

Groceries & Markets

Saint Croix

$321 * 38.5%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 9% $29

Getting Around

Saint Croix

- * 0%

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Croix

- * 0%

Nosara

$184 10%

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Croix

- * 0%

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Croix

- * 0%

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Accommodation & Living

Saint Croix

- * 0%

Nosara

$790 43%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,525 in Saint Croix versus $801 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 $150 in Saint Croix versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $321 in Saint Croix vs $350 in Nosara – so Saint Croix wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Saint Croix

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

2 h behind Saint Croix

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,601

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint Croix Nosara 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Croix
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

Saint Croix vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $833 in Saint Croix, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 120% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,249 per month in Saint Croix and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Croix, 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 $150 in Saint Croix and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $833 in Saint Croix and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 120%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint Croix, where all-in costs run around $833, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Saint Croix it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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 $833 in Saint Croix to $1,835 in Nosara. 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 Saint Croix. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.