Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney, NS and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,595 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,595

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,595 per month in Sydney, NS vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Sydney, NS $1,595
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,519 per month in Sydney, NS vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Sydney, NS $2,519
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,443 per month in Sydney, NS vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Sydney, NS $3,443
Nosara $3,818

Sydney, NS is about 13% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sydney, NS and Nosara sit above the global median – Sydney, NS by 18%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 CA$15.57

$12.35 ₡5,539

-10.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 CA$89.7

$61.2 ₡27.4K

3.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 CA$10.40

$7.52 ₡3,373

-2.13%

Cappuccino

$2.84 CA$4.02

$4.41 ₡1,978

-35.60%

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

$2.29 CA$3.23

$1.74 ₡780

31.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$1.31 ₡587

57.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CA$3.16

$1.56 ₡701

43.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$3.02 ₡1,355

-17.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.41

$2.51 ₡1,125

-3.98%

Eggs

$3.19 CA$4.50

$3.57 ₡1,603

-10.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 CA$8.89

$7.43 ₡3,333

-15.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 CA$11.36

$10.52 ₡4,717

-23.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.06 CA$18.47

$13.97 ₡6,265

-6.51%

Apples (1kg)

$7.04 CA$9.96

$2.35 ₡1,052

199.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.61 ₡720

-26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.02

$1.61 ₡724

-11.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 CA$1.10

$3.80 ₡1,703

-79.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 CA$2.76

$3.69 ₡1,657

-47.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.41 CA$9.06

$1.13 ₡507

467.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.79 CA$25.15

$5.18 ₡2,321

243.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 CA$5.96

$3.63 ₡1,626

15.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 CA$1.53

$1.12 ₡504

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.58 CA$67.3

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-34.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 CA$5.80

$2.14 ₡958

91.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.66

$1.52 ₡682

-23.03%

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

$25.6K CA$36.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

18.51%

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

$19.0K CA$26.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-44.87%

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

$88.1 CA$124

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-8.55%

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

$34.80 CA$49.20

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-3.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 CA$104

$53.6 ₡24.0K

37.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.87 CA$67.7

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-33.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.40 CA$4.80

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-90.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.93 CA$9.80

$7.89 ₡3,539

-12.17%

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

$698 CA$987

$494 ₡221.6K

41.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 CA$95.6

$53.9 ₡24.2K

25.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.2 CA$93.6

$55.4 ₡24.8K

19.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 CA$140

$77.9 ₡34.9K

27.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$149

$79.6 ₡35.7K

32.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 CA$1,273

$788 ₡353.4K

14.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 CA$1,002

$794 ₡356.2K

-10.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,770 CA$2,503

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-55.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 CA$1,932

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-3.70%

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)

$2,501 CA$3,536

$864 ₡387.3K

189.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.8

8.62

-32.71%

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

Last update for Sydney, NS: 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

Sydney, NS

$709 44.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 12% $85

Groceries & Markets

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 36.7% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney, NS

$196 12.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 5.4% $11

Eating Out

Sydney, NS

$162 * 10.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 31% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney, NS

$152 9.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 21.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney, NS

$62 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 41.5% $26

Getting Around

Sydney, NS

$56 * 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 55.5% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Sydney, NS 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 190% higher in Sydney, NS, 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 $63.0 in Sydney, NS versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Sydney, NS vs $352 in Nosara – so Sydney, NS wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:16 3:16 PM

12:16 12:16 PM

3 h behind Sydney, NS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,960

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney, NS Nosara 4,690 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney, NS
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

Sydney, NS vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,595 in Sydney, NS, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,392 per month in Sydney, NS 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 Sydney, NS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Sydney, NS. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $698 per month in Sydney, NS and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sydney, NS, where all-in costs run around $1,595, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sydney, NS 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 $1,595 in Sydney, NS 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 Sydney, NS. 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.