Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sint Nicolaas and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas: $139 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Sint Nicolaas

🇦🇼 Aruba

$139

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $139 per month in Sint Nicolaas vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Sint Nicolaas $139
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $334 per month in Sint Nicolaas vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Sint Nicolaas $334
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $529 per month in Sint Nicolaas vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Sint Nicolaas $529
Nosara $3,712

Sint Nicolaas is about 92% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sint Nicolaas sits 90% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.76 AWG 30.00

$12.22 ₡5,509

37.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.87 AWG 80.3

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-25.47%

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)

$1.09 AWG 1.95

$1.35 ₡608

-19.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

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)

$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)

$1.57 ₡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)

$35.11 ₡15.8K

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 Sint Nicolaas: 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

Sint Nicolaas

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Sint Nicolaas

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Sint Nicolaas

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sint Nicolaas

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Sint Nicolaas

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Sint Nicolaas

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Sint Nicolaas

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Sint Nicolaas versus $60.0 in Nosara. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Sint Nicolaas

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

04:49 4:49 AM

2 h behind Sint Nicolaas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.499 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.499 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 AWG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sint Nicolaas Nosara 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sint Nicolaas
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

Sint Nicolaas vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $139 in Sint Nicolaas, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 1225% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $208 per month in Sint Nicolaas 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 $139 in Sint Nicolaas and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 1225%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Sint Nicolaas and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sint Nicolaas, where all-in costs run around $139, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Sint Nicolaas 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 $139 in Sint Nicolaas 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 Sint Nicolaas. 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.