Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John Island and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $6,201 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $52,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

297

Cost of Living Index in Saint John Island
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Saint John Island Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Saint John Island

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$6,201

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $6,201 per month in Saint John Island vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint John Island $6,201
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $8,382 per month in Saint John Island vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint John Island $8,382
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $10.6K per month in Saint John Island vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint John Island $10.6K
Nosara $3,712

Saint John Island costs about 237% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saint John Island and Nosara sit above the global median – Saint John Island by 363%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$69.9 $69.9

$12.22 ₡5,509

471.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 $150

$60.2 ₡27.1K

148.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.14 $15.14

$7.54 ₡3,399

100.80%

Cappuccino

$9.16 $9.16

$4.31 ₡1,941

112.53%

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

$3.41 $3.41

$1.72 ₡773

98.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.35 ₡608

157.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.24 ₡1,459

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.48 ₡2,018

53.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.57 ₡707

100.64%

White Bread (500g)

$7.96 $7.96

$3.17 ₡1,429

151.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$2.42 ₡1,091

396.69%

Eggs

$12.07 $12.07

$3.57 ₡1,609

238.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.43 $32.43

$7.43 ₡3,349

336.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.00 $33.00

$10.42 ₡4,697

216.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.11 $24.11

$13.66 ₡6,156

76.50%

Apples (1kg)

$21.82 $21.82

$2.32 ₡1,044

840.52%

Banana (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.61 ₡728

142.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$4.74 ₡2,138

264.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$1.66 ₡747

616.27%

Potato (1kg)

$7.74 $7.74

$3.72 ₡1,679

108.06%

Onion (1kg)

$7.86 $7.86

$3.57 ₡1,611

120.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.95 $4.95

$1.10 ₡497

350.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.55 ₡1,149

39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.86 $8.86

$4.95 ₡2,232

78.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.36 $23.36

$20.01 ₡9,020

16.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.79 ₡1,256

64.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.53 ₡1,589

74.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$7.15 $7.15

$1.19 ₡537

500.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$149 $149

$72.1 ₡32.5K

106.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$30.31 $30.31

$2.24 ₡1,011

1253.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.2 $50.2

$8.86 ₡3,993

466.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.57 ₡708

-0.64%

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

$47.1K $47.1K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

116.17%

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

$52.2K $52.2K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

50.77%

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

$297 $297

$93.5 ₡42.1K

217.44%

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

$98.4 $98.4

$35.11 ₡15.8K

180.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 $101

$51.5 ₡23.2K

96.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

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 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 $80.4

$53.5 ₡24.1K

50.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.69 $49.69

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-10.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 $84.9

$79.3 ₡35.7K

7.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$78.9 ₡35.6K

27.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,020 $4,020

$786 ₡354.3K

411.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,511 $3,511

$780 ₡351.6K

350.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,081 $5,081

$3,860 ₡1.7M

31.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,566 $4,566

$1,407 ₡634.4K

224.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,412 $4,412

$876 ₡395.0K

403.47%

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 Saint John Island: 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

Saint John Island

$3.5K 57.3%

Nosara

$780 43% 77.8% $2.7K

Groceries & Markets

Saint John Island

$987 16.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 64.6% $637

Eating Out

Saint John Island

$781 12.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 73.2% $572

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John Island

$496 8.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 63.7% $316

Getting Around

Saint John Island

$208 * 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 58.2% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John Island

$142 2.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 15.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John Island

- * 0%

Nosara

$87 4.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,020 in Saint John Island 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 403% higher in Saint John Island, 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 $150 in Saint John Island versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $987 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Saint John Island

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:43 4:43 AM

02:43 2:43 AM

2 h behind Saint John Island

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,170

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint John Island Nosara 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint John Island
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 John Island vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $6,201 in Saint John Island, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 237% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $9,302 per month in Saint John Island 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 106% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 182% more in Saint John Island, 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 Saint John Island at $6,201. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John Island 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 $6,201 in Saint John Island. 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, Saint John Island makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.