Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thompson and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Thompson and in Nosara: $1,808 and $1,837 a month, rent and utilities included.

86

Cost of Living Index in Thompson
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Thompson Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Thompson

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,808

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,808 per month in Thompson vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Thompson $1,808
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,730 per month in Thompson vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Thompson $2,730
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,652 per month in Thompson vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Thompson $3,652
Nosara $3,712

Thompson is about 2% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Thompson and Nosara sit above the global median – Thompson by 35%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 CA$24.71

$12.22 ₡5,509

42.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 CA$90.0

$60.2 ₡27.1K

5.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.12

$7.54 ₡3,399

40.98%

Cappuccino

$3.62 CA$5.15

$4.31 ₡1,941

-16.01%

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

$1.96 CA$2.79

$1.72 ₡773

13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.30

$1.35 ₡608

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.33 CA$7.58

$3.24 ₡1,459

64.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 CA$7.97

$4.48 ₡2,018

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CA$3.02

$1.57 ₡707

35.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 CA$3.55

$3.17 ₡1,429

-21.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.56

$2.42 ₡1,091

32.23%

Eggs

$3.33 CA$4.74

$3.57 ₡1,609

-6.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 CA$14.35

$7.43 ₡3,349

35.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.30

$10.42 ₡4,697

9.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 CA$20.91

$13.66 ₡6,156

7.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.19

$2.32 ₡1,044

57.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CA$1.67

$1.61 ₡728

-27.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.37

$4.74 ₡2,138

-20.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 CA$5.92

$1.66 ₡747

150.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 CA$3.42

$3.72 ₡1,679

-35.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$3.57 ₡1,611

-38.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$1.10 ₡497

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.27

$2.55 ₡1,149

-37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.73 CA$19.53

$4.95 ₡2,232

177.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 CA$18.02

$20.01 ₡9,020

-36.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$2.79 ₡1,256

-3.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CA$4.32

$3.53 ₡1,589

-13.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 CA$3.13

$1.19 ₡537

84.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 CA$95.5

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-6.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 CA$4.07

$2.24 ₡1,011

27.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$1.55 ₡701

-10.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.69 CA$32.27

$8.86 ₡3,993

156.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.60

$1.57 ₡708

-28.66%

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

$27.8K CA$39.6K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

27.66%

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

$20.4K CA$29.1K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-41.01%

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

$137 CA$195

$93.5 ₡42.1K

46.67%

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

$37.96 CA$54.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

8.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 CA$75.4

$51.5 ₡23.2K

2.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.03 CA$58.4

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-42.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 CA$22.28

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-55.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.96 CA$15.59

$7.84 ₡3,535

39.80%

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

$641 CA$911

$490 ₡220.7K

30.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K CA$19.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

15.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$76.0

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-0.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.21 CA$54.4

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-31.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 CA$120

$79.3 ₡35.7K

6.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$145

$78.9 ₡35.6K

29.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 CA$956

$786 ₡354.3K

-14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 CA$958

$780 ₡351.6K

-13.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 CA$1,551

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-71.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 CA$1,587

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-20.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,094 CA$5,823

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-41.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,002 CA$5,693

$1,201 ₡541.3K

233.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,531 CA$2,178

$876 ₡395.0K

74.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.64

8.62

-46.17%

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

Last update for Thompson: 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

Thompson

$674 37.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 15.8% $106

Groceries & Markets

Thompson

$350 19.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 0.3% $1

Eating Out

Thompson

$266 14.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 21.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thompson

$228 12.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 21% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Thompson

$125 7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 3.8% $4.7

Getting Around

Thompson

$86 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1.3% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Thompson

$63 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 38.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $672 in Thompson 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 75% higher in Thompson, 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 Thompson versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Thompson vs $350 in Nosara – so Thompson wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Thompson

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

23:07 11:07 PM

1 h behind Thompson

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,829

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Thompson Nosara 5,200 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Thompson
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

Thompson vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,808 in Thompson, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,712 per month in Thompson and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thompson, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Thompson. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $641 per month in Thompson and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Thompson, where all-in costs run around $1,808, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Thompson 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 $1,808 in Thompson 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 Thompson. 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.