Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Simpson Bay and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,851 in Simpson Bay, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 less a year. Rent and utilities 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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Simpson Bay

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,851

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,851 per month in Simpson Bay vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Simpson Bay $3,851
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $6,504 per month in Simpson Bay vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Simpson Bay $6,504
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $9,157 per month in Simpson Bay vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Simpson Bay $9,157
Nosara $3,712

Simpson Bay costs about 110% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Simpson Bay and Nosara sit above the global median – Simpson Bay by 187%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.11 ANG 34.22

$12.22 ₡5,509

56.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 ANG 234

$60.2 ₡27.1K

117.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.78 ANG 22.88

$7.54 ₡3,399

69.50%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ANG 7.96

$4.31 ₡1,941

3.02%

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

$2.91 ANG 5.22

$1.72 ₡773

69.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ANG 5.44

$1.35 ₡608

125.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 ANG 9.73

$3.24 ₡1,459

67.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 ANG 7.36

$4.48 ₡2,018

-8.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.03 ANG 7.21

$1.57 ₡707

156.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 ANG 5.02

$3.17 ₡1,429

-11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 ANG 5.53

$2.42 ₡1,091

27.69%

Eggs

$4.49 ANG 8.04

$3.57 ₡1,609

25.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.93 ANG 44.63

$7.43 ₡3,349

235.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.40 ANG 23.98

$10.42 ₡4,697

28.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.98 ANG 30.39

$13.66 ₡6,156

24.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 ANG 7.63

$2.32 ₡1,044

83.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 ANG 6.35

$1.61 ₡728

120.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.32 ANG 11.31

$4.74 ₡2,138

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 ANG 9.05

$1.66 ₡747

204.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.96 ANG 7.08

$3.72 ₡1,679

6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.44 ANG 6.16

$3.57 ₡1,611

-3.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 ANG 5.47

$1.10 ₡497

178.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 ANG 2.64

$2.55 ₡1,149

-42.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 ANG 27.24

$20.01 ₡9,020

-23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ANG 3.20

$3.53 ₡1,589

-49.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 ANG 5.51

$1.19 ₡537

158.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.22 ANG 27.24

$2.24 ₡1,011

579.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ANG 2.27

$1.57 ₡708

-19.11%

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)

$502 ANG 899

$93.5 ₡42.1K

437.13%

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

$35.56 ANG 63.7

$35.11 ₡15.8K

1.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.6 ANG 157

$51.5 ₡23.2K

70.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.8 ANG 134

$71.4 ₡32.2K

4.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$8.18 ANG 14.65

$7.84 ₡3,535

4.34%

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

$761 ANG 1,362

$490 ₡220.7K

55.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ANG 21.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

1.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 ANG 90.6

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-5.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.59 ANG 70.9

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-29.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 ANG 178

$79.3 ₡35.7K

25.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.5 ANG 106

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-24.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,330 ANG 4,171

$786 ₡354.3K

196.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,273 ANG 4,069

$780 ₡351.6K

191.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,007 ANG 10.8K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

55.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,604 ANG 10.0K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

298.21%

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 Simpson Bay: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Simpson Bay

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Simpson Bay

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Simpson Bay

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Simpson Bay

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Simpson Bay

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Simpson Bay

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Simpson Bay

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,330 in Simpson Bay 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $131 in Simpson Bay versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $467 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇽 Simpson Bay

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:48 12:48 AM

22:48 10:48 PM

2 h behind Simpson Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.498 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ANG – Netherlands Antillean Guilder Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ƒ)

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.498 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 ANG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Simpson Bay Nosara 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Simpson Bay
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

Simpson Bay vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,851 in Simpson Bay, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 110% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,776 per month in Simpson Bay 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $131 in Simpson Bay and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Simpson Bay, 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 Simpson Bay at $3,851. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Simpson Bay 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 $3,851 in Simpson Bay. 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, Simpson Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.