Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southwark and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Southwark: $1,473 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Southwark
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,473
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,473 per month in Southwark vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Southwark $1,473
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,277 per month in Southwark vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Southwark $4,277
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $7,080 per month in Southwark vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Southwark $7,080
  • Nosara $3,818

Southwark is about 20% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Southwark and Nosara sit above the global median – Southwark by 9%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Southwark
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.89 £18.67
$12.35 ₡5,539
101.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.4 £73.8
$61.2 ₡27.4K
60.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 £7.99
$7.52 ₡3,373
41.62%
Cappuccino
$5.71 £4.28
$4.41 ₡1,978
29.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 £2.22
$1.74 ₡780
70.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 £1.87
$1.31 ₡587
90.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.43 £7.07
$3.28 ₡1,471
187.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.01 £6.01
$4.47 ₡2,004
79.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Southwark
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 £1.47
$1.56 ₡701
25.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 £1.53
$3.02 ₡1,355
-32.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.10 £1.58
$2.51 ₡1,125
-16.33%
Eggs
$4.40 £3.30
$3.57 ₡1,603
23.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.64 £8.74
$7.43 ₡3,333
56.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.39 £7.04
$10.52 ₡4,717
-10.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.91 £11.19
$13.97 ₡6,265
6.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 £2.21
$2.35 ₡1,052
25.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 £1.02
$1.61 ₡720
-15.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 £2.15
$4.80 ₡2,152
-40.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.38 £2.53
$1.61 ₡724
109.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.65 £1.24
$3.80 ₡1,703
-56.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 £1.30
$3.69 ₡1,657
-53.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 £0.98
$1.13 ₡507
15.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 £1.33
$2.66 ₡1,191
-33.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.70 £17.78
$5.18 ₡2,321
357.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.87 £8.91
$19.88 ₡8,916
-40.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.02 £2.27
$2.90 ₡1,300
4.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 £2.42
$3.63 ₡1,626
-11.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Southwark
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.90 £2.93
$1.12 ₡504
248.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$159 £119
$72.6 ₡32.6K
119.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.05 £3.79
$2.14 ₡958
135.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.70 £2.02
$1.57 ₡703
71.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.31 £29.49
$8.52 ₡3,823
361.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.14 £1.60
$1.52 ₡682
40.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £28.9K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
78.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.2K £30.2K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
16.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Southwark
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$329 £247
$96.3 ₡43.2K
241.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.85 £13.39
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-50.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.79 £30.60
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-23.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Southwark
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.69 £13.27
$7.89 ₡3,539
124.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Southwark
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,484 £1,864
$494 ₡221.6K
402.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.9K £22.4K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
151.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Southwark
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.9 £68.2
$53.9 ₡24.2K
68.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.17 £34.63
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-16.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 £77.1
$77.9 ₡34.9K
31.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.2 £66.9
$79.6 ₡35.7K
12.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Southwark
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,309 £1,732
$788 ₡353.4K
192.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$794 ₡356.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,679 £4,260
$3,939 ₡1.8M
44.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,867 £2,901
$1,419 ₡636.5K
172.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Southwark
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,165 £3,124
$864 ₡387.3K
382.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.12
8.62
-40.60%

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

Last update for Southwark: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Southwark
$388
Nosara
$186 52.1% $202
Eating Out
Southwark
$385
Nosara
$212 44.9% $173
Groceries & Markets
Southwark
$324
Nosara
$352 8.7% $28
Getting Around
Southwark
$193
Nosara
$87 55% $106
Clothing & Footwear
Southwark
$148
Nosara
$120 18.9% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Southwark
$35 *
Nosara
$87 147% $52
Accommodation & Living
Southwark
- *
Nosara
$794

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,309 in Southwark versus $788 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 382% higher in Southwark, 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 $98.0 in Southwark versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $324 in Southwark vs $352 in Nosara – so Southwark wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Southwark
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
21:47 9:47 PM
14:47 2:47 PM
7 h behind Southwark
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
71,552
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Southwark Nosara 8,840 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Southwark
  • 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
Southwark vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Southwark and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,473 in Southwark, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Southwark compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,210 per month in Southwark and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Southwark and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Southwark, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Southwark and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 119% less in Southwark. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Southwark and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $2,484 per month in Southwark and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Southwark, where all-in costs run around $1,473, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Southwark it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Southwark and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,473 in Southwark to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Southwark or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Southwark and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Southwark. 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.

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