Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stanley and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,941 in Stanley, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Stanley
🇫🇰 Falkland Islands
$2,941
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,941 per month in Stanley vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Stanley $2,941
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,457 per month in Stanley vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Stanley $4,457
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,973 per month in Stanley vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Stanley $5,973
  • Nosara $3,712

Stanley costs about 60% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Stanley and Nosara sit above the global median – Stanley by 119%, Nosara by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Stanley
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.38 FKP 19.92
$12.22 ₡5,509
115.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.6 FKP 60.9
$60.2 ₡27.1K
33.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$7.54 ₡3,399
-
Cappuccino
$4.12 FKP 3.11
$4.31 ₡1,941
-4.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 FKP 1.66
$1.72 ₡773
27.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 FKP 1.02
$1.35 ₡608
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.23 FKP 3.19
$3.24 ₡1,459
30.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 FKP 1.95
$4.48 ₡2,018
-42.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Stanley
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.29 FKP 1.73
$1.57 ₡707
45.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.95 FKP 2.23
$3.17 ₡1,429
-6.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.90 FKP 0.68
$2.42 ₡1,091
-62.81%
Eggs
$6.99 FKP 5.28
$3.57 ₡1,609
95.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.84 FKP 2.15
$7.43 ₡3,349
-61.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.47 FKP 7.15
$10.42 ₡4,697
-9.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.99 FKP 9.06
$13.66 ₡6,156
-12.23%
Apples (1kg)
$9.40 FKP 7.09
$2.32 ₡1,044
305.17%
Banana (1kg)
$5.40 FKP 4.08
$1.61 ₡728
235.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$10.50 FKP 7.93
$4.74 ₡2,138
121.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.90 FKP 5.96
$1.66 ₡747
375.90%
Potato (1kg)
$3.22 FKP 2.43
$3.72 ₡1,679
-13.44%
Onion (1kg)
$0.76 FKP 0.58
$3.57 ₡1,611
-78.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$4.26 FKP 3.22
$1.10 ₡497
287.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.55 ₡1,149
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$16.30 FKP 12.31
$4.95 ₡2,232
229.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.01 FKP 9.07
$20.01 ₡9,020
-39.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.79 ₡1,256
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 FKP 1.85
$3.53 ₡1,589
-30.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Stanley
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.19 ₡537
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.54 FKP 4.94
$2.24 ₡1,011
191.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.55 ₡701
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.86 ₡3,993
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.65 FKP 1.24
$1.57 ₡708
5.10%
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
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stanley
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$380 FKP 287
$93.5 ₡42.1K
306.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$76.3 FKP 57.6
$35.11 ₡15.8K
117.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$449 FKP 339
$51.5 ₡23.2K
771.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Stanley
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.93 FKP 16.56
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-69.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.93 FKP 9.01
$7.84 ₡3,535
52.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Stanley
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$490 ₡220.7K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Stanley
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$113 FKP 85.2
$53.5 ₡24.1K
110.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$94.3 FKP 71.2
$55.8 ₡25.1K
69.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$162 FKP 122
$79.3 ₡35.7K
103.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 FKP 80.3
$78.9 ₡35.6K
34.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Stanley
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,445 FKP 1,091
$786 ₡354.3K
83.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,073 FKP 810
$780 ₡351.6K
37.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,684 FKP 2,027
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-30.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,426 FKP 1,832
$1,407 ₡634.4K
72.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,201 ₡541.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Stanley
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,889 FKP 2,936
$876 ₡395.0K
343.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.75
8.62
-10.09%

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

Last update for Stanley: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Stanley
$1.1K
Nosara
$780 27.3% $293
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stanley
$905
Nosara
$180 80.1% $725
Groceries & Markets
Stanley
$394 *
Nosara
$350 11.3% $44
Eating Out
Stanley
$301 *
Nosara
$209 30.4% $92
Clothing & Footwear
Stanley
$214
Nosara
$120 43.7% $93
Sport & Entertainment
Stanley
$46
Nosara
$87 90.2% $41
Getting Around
Stanley
$6.5 *
Nosara
$87 1228% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,445 in Stanley 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.

Salaries run about 344% higher in Stanley, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Stanley versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $394 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇰 Stanley
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
03:19 3:19 AM
00:19 12:19 AM
3 h behind Stanley
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,500 Capital
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to FKP – Falkland Islands Pound Converter

Falkland Islands Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.755 FKP (1 FKP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.847 FKP (1 FKP = 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Stanley Nosara 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Stanley
  • 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
Stanley vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Stanley and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,941 in Stanley, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.
What salary covers living expenses in Stanley compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,411 per month in Stanley and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Stanley and Nosara?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Stanley and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Stanley or Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,941 in Stanley and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 60%.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Stanley at $2,941. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stanley it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Stanley and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $2,941 in Stanley. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Stanley 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 Stanley and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stanley makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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