Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St John and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $315 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 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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St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$315

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $315 per month in St John vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

St John $315
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $928 per month in St John vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

St John $928
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,540 per month in St John vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

St John $1,540
Nosara $3,712

St John is about 83% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

St John sits 77% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 $20.15

$12.22 ₡5,509

64.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$174 $174

$60.2 ₡27.1K

188.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

Cappuccino

$7.10 $7.10

$4.31 ₡1,941

64.73%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$1.72 ₡773

75.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.35 ₡608

51.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$3.24 ₡1,459

151.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.48 ₡2,018

79.69%

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 $1.57

$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)

$13.4K $13.4K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

13.16%

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)

$12.9K $12.9K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

84.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,080 $5,080

$876 ₡395.0K

479.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.05

8.62

-18.21%

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

Last update for St John: 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

St John

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

St John

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

St John

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St John

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

St John

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

St John

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

St John

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 480% higher in St John, 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 $174 in St John versus $60.0 in Nosara. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇻🇮 St John

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

02:20 2:20 AM

2 h behind St John

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

St John Nosara 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

St John
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

St John vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $315 in St John, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 484% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $472 per month in St John 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 $315 in St John and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 484%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $174 in St John and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in St John, where all-in costs run around $315, than in Nosara at $1,837. In St John 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 $315 in St John 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 St John. 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.