Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John's and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Saint John's and in Nosara: $1,816 and $1,837 a month, rent and utilities included.

85

Cost of Living Index in Saint John's
Learn more

Saint John's Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Saint John's

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

$1,816

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,816 per month in Saint John's vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint John's $1,816
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,873 per month in Saint John's vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint John's $2,873
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,929 per month in Saint John's vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint John's $3,929
Nosara $3,712

Saint John's is about 1% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Saint John's and Nosara sit above the global median – Saint John's by 36%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.50 EC$60.8

$12.22 ₡5,509

84.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 EC$203

$60.2 ₡27.1K

24.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 EC$29.62

$7.54 ₡3,399

45.49%

Cappuccino

$3.80 EC$10.27

$4.31 ₡1,941

-11.83%

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

$2.03 EC$5.47

$1.72 ₡773

18.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 EC$2.34

$1.35 ₡608

-35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 EC$5.05

$3.24 ₡1,459

-42.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 EC$12.09

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 EC$5.88

$1.57 ₡707

38.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 EC$7.59

$3.17 ₡1,429

-11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 EC$5.14

$2.42 ₡1,091

-21.49%

Eggs

$6.63 EC$17.91

$3.57 ₡1,609

85.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 EC$22.46

$7.43 ₡3,349

11.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.31 EC$22.44

$10.42 ₡4,697

-20.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$6.48 EC$17.49

$2.32 ₡1,044

179.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 EC$6.54

$1.61 ₡728

50.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.12 EC$21.93

$4.74 ₡2,138

71.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.10 EC$21.87

$1.66 ₡747

387.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 EC$7.88

$3.72 ₡1,679

-21.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 EC$7.84

$3.57 ₡1,611

-18.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 EC$7.12

$1.10 ₡497

140.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 EC$4.34

$2.55 ₡1,149

-36.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 EC$14.93

$20.01 ₡9,020

-72.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 EC$7.36

$2.79 ₡1,256

-2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 EC$12.29

$3.53 ₡1,589

28.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 EC$4.40

$1.57 ₡708

3.82%

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)

$256 EC$692

$93.5 ₡42.1K

174.38%

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

$40.32 EC$109

$35.11 ₡15.8K

14.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.4 EC$220

$51.5 ₡23.2K

58.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 EC$176

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-8.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 EC$17.36

$7.84 ₡3,535

-17.98%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,855 EC$5,009

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-84.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.21 EC$133

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 EC$204

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 EC$2,796

$786 ₡354.3K

31.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 EC$1,835

$780 ₡351.6K

-12.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 EC$4,573

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-56.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 EC$4,043

$1,407 ₡634.4K

6.41%

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)

$1,344 EC$3,630

$876 ₡395.0K

53.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

8.62

-36.19%

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

Last update for Saint John's: 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

Saint John's

$680 37.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 14.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John's

$378 20.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 52.4% $198

Groceries & Markets

Saint John's

$349 * 19.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 0.3% $0.9

Eating Out

Saint John's

$288 15.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 27.4% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John's

$78 4.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 11.4% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John's

$56 * 3.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 115% $64

Getting Around

Saint John's

- * 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 $1,036 in Saint John's 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 53% higher in Saint John's, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Saint John's versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $349 in Saint John's vs $350 in Nosara – so Saint John's wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇬 Saint John's

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:56 7:56 AM

05:56 5:56 AM

2 h behind Saint John's

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,926 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint John's Nosara 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,816 in Saint John's, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,724 per month in Saint John's 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 Saint John's, 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 $75.0 in Saint John's and $60.0 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 $1,816 in Saint John's and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Saint John's, where all-in costs run around $1,816, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Saint John's it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Saint John's has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,816 in Saint John's to $1,837 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 John's. 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.