Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Leu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Leu: $1,502 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Saint-Leu

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,502

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,502 per month in Saint-Leu vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint-Leu $1,502
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,357 per month in Saint-Leu vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint-Leu $2,357
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,213 per month in Saint-Leu vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Saint-Leu $3,213
Nosara $3,814

Saint-Leu is about 18% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saint-Leu and Nosara sit above the global median – Saint-Leu by 11%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.24 €25.12

$12.34 ₡5,535

128.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €79.3

$61.3 ₡27.5K

45.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.52

$4.44 ₡1,992

-36.26%

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

$1.79 ₡803

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.29 ₡580

-14.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 €7.01

$3.24 ₡1,451

143.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 €4.95

$4.43 ₡1,985

25.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.55 ₡696

-29.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 €1.12

$3.08 ₡1,380

-59.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.53 ₡1,133

-14.23%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

$3.45 ₡1,546

33.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.03 €19.60

$7.32 ₡3,284

200.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.00

$2.29 ₡1,027

47.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.47

$1.64 ₡737

1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$4.79 ₡2,149

-52.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$1.64 ₡735

107.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$3.85 ₡1,727

-41.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$3.75 ₡1,681

-41.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$2.59 ₡1,160

-68.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.77 €13.13

$5.12 ₡2,295

188.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.56 €4.95

$19.92 ₡8,931

-72.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.80 ₡1,255

-41.43%

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)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.55 ₡697

20.65%

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)

$94.6 €84.1

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-0.23%

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

$9.89 €8.80

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-72.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.06 €30.30

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-35.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 €30.08

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-54.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 €8.91

$7.91 ₡3,548

26.55%

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)

$1,140 €1,014

$801 ₡359.1K

42.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 €698

$790 ₡354.1K

-0.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,981 €1,762

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-50.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 €1,204

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-3.97%

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)

$2,039 €1,814

$887 ₡397.6K

130.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-53.60%

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

Last update for Saint-Leu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint-Leu

–

Nosara

$790 43%

Groceries & Markets

Saint-Leu

–

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Eating Out

Saint-Leu

–

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint-Leu

–

Nosara

$184 10%

Clothing & Footwear

Saint-Leu

–

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Saint-Leu

–

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Getting Around

Saint-Leu

–

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,140 in Saint-Leu 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.

Salaries run about 130% higher in Saint-Leu, 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 $89.0 in Saint-Leu versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $210 in Saint-Leu vs $350 in Nosara – so Saint-Leu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇪 Saint-Leu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:12 2:12 PM

04:12 4:12 AM

10 h behind Saint-Leu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,893

4,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint-Leu Nosara 15,660 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,502 in Saint-Leu, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,253 per month in Saint-Leu 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-Leu, 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 $89.0 in Saint-Leu 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 $1,502 in Saint-Leu and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint-Leu, where all-in costs run around $1,502, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Saint-Leu 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 $1,502 in Saint-Leu 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-Leu. 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.