Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sark and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sark: $238 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sark
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Sark Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sark

🇬🇬 Guernsey

$238

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $238 per month in Sark vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Sark $238
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $405 per month in Sark vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Sark $405
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $573 per month in Sark vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Sark $573
Nosara $3,712

Sark is about 87% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sark sits 82% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

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

$1.72 ₡773

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 GGP 2.10

$1.57 ₡707

76.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$6.95 GGP 5.26

$3.57 ₡1,609

94.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 GGP 3.84

$2.32 ₡1,044

118.97%

Banana (1kg)

$4.60 GGP 3.48

$1.61 ₡728

185.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 GGP 2.86

$4.74 ₡2,138

-20.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 GGP 4.47

$1.66 ₡747

255.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 GGP 2.29

$3.72 ₡1,679

-18.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 GGP 2.46

$3.57 ₡1,611

-8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.53 GGP 2.67

$1.10 ₡497

220.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 GGP 1.48

$2.55 ₡1,149

-23.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

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)

$2.37 GGP 1.79

$1.19 ₡537

99.16%

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)

$1.57 ₡708

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)

$93.5 ₡42.1K

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

$21.08 GGP 15.96

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-39.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

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)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

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)

$876 ₡395.0K

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 Sark: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sark

$206 * 87.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 69.5% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sark

$21 * 8.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 754% $159

Getting Around

Sark

$9.5 * 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 816% $77

Eating Out

Sark

- * 0%

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Sark

- * 0%

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Sark

- * 0%

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Accommodation & Living

Sark

- * 0%

Nosara

$780 43%

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

Good to know

🇬🇬 Sark

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

00:17 12:17 AM

7 h behind Sark

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

562

4,912

💱 Currency

Guernsey Pound GGP £

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 GGP = 1.32 USD

1 GGP = 1.18 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to GGP – Guernsey Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇬 Guernsey Pound (£)

Guernsey Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.757 GGP (1 GGP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.849 GGP (1 GGP = 1.18 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).

USD to GGP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sark Nosara 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sark
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

Sark vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $238 in Sark, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 672% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $357 per month in Sark and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $238 in Sark and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 672%.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sark, where all-in costs run around $238, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Sark 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 $238 in Sark 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 Sark. 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.