Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stony Hill and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Stony Hill: $1,614 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Stony Hill
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Stony Hill Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Stony Hill

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,614

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Stony Hill vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Stony Hill $1,614
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,808 per month in Stony Hill vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Stony Hill $2,808
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,002 per month in Stony Hill vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Stony Hill $4,002
Nosara $3,818

Stony Hill is about 12% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Stony Hill and Nosara sit above the global median – Stony Hill by 20%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.54 JMD 2,140

$12.35 ₡5,539

9.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 JMD 11.9K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

22.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.37 JMD 1,322

$7.52 ₡3,373

11.30%

Cappuccino

$5.37 JMD 849

$4.41 ₡1,978

21.77%

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

$1.14 JMD 180

$1.74 ₡780

-34.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 JMD 94.8

$1.31 ₡587

-54.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 JMD 293

$3.28 ₡1,471

-43.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 JMD 509

$4.47 ₡2,004

-27.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 JMD 487

$1.56 ₡701

97.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 JMD 245

$3.02 ₡1,355

-48.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 JMD 260

$2.51 ₡1,125

-34.26%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 548

$3.57 ₡1,603

-2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 JMD 1,817

$7.43 ₡3,333

54.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 JMD 777

$10.52 ₡4,717

-53.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.87 JMD 454

$13.97 ₡6,265

-79.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 JMD 931

$2.35 ₡1,052

150.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.76 JMD 594

$1.61 ₡720

133.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 JMD 652

$4.80 ₡2,152

-14.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 JMD 388

$1.61 ₡724

52.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 JMD 435

$3.80 ₡1,703

-27.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 JMD 300

$3.69 ₡1,657

-48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 JMD 255

$1.13 ₡507

42.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 229

$2.66 ₡1,191

-45.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.45 JMD 1,493

$5.18 ₡2,321

82.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 JMD 1,759

$19.88 ₡8,916

-44.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 JMD 440

$2.90 ₡1,300

-3.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 JMD 616

$3.63 ₡1,626

7.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 JMD 183

$2.14 ₡958

-45.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 506

$1.57 ₡703

104.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 JMD 993

$8.52 ₡3,823

-26.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 JMD 113

$1.52 ₡682

-52.63%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.7K JMD 5.0M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

46.56%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.3K JMD 4.0M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.81%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$46.98 JMD 7,422

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-51.21%

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

$21.73 JMD 3,433

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-39.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.54 JMD 6,563

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-22.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.6 JMD 11.9K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

5.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 JMD 3,017

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-45.29%

Cinema Ticket

$12.63 JMD 1,996

$7.89 ₡3,539

60.08%

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

$360 JMD 56.9K

$494 ₡221.6K

-27.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,318 JMD 1.3M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-29.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.28 JMD 3,678

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-56.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.45 JMD 4,969

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-43.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 JMD 11.8K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 JMD 16.5K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

31.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 JMD 148.0K

$788 ₡353.4K

18.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 JMD 120.7K

$794 ₡356.2K

-3.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 JMD 351.5K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-43.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 JMD 296.5K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

32.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.41%

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

Last update for Stony Hill: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stony Hill

$764 47.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 3.9% $30

Groceries & Markets

Stony Hill

$295 18.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 19.4% $57

Eating Out

Stony Hill

$221 13.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 4% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stony Hill

$110 6.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 68.5% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Stony Hill

$105 6.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 14% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Stony Hill

$101 6.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 13.3% $13

Getting Around

Stony Hill

$17 * 1.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 407% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $937 in Stony Hill 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Stony Hill versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Stony Hill vs $352 in Nosara – so Stony Hill wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Stony Hill

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:33 9:33 PM

20:33 8:33 PM

1 h behind Stony Hill

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,551

4,912

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Stony Hill Nosara 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Stony Hill
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

Stony Hill vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,614 in Stony Hill, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,420 per month in Stony Hill and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stony Hill, 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 $75.0 in Stony Hill and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Stony Hill, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Stony Hill 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 $1,614 in Stony Hill to $1,839 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 Stony Hill. 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.