Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tobago and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Tobago: $1,202 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Tobago
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Tobago Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Tobago

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,202

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Tobago vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Tobago $1,202
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,819 per month in Tobago vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Tobago $1,819
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,436 per month in Tobago vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Tobago $2,436
Nosara $3,712

Tobago is about 35% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Tobago sits 10% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 TTD 68.1

$12.22 ₡5,509

-17.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.28 TTD 284

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-29.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 TTD 65.1

$7.54 ₡3,399

28.38%

Cappuccino

$3.74 TTD 25.16

$4.31 ₡1,941

-13.23%

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

$1.59 TTD 10.72

$1.72 ₡773

-7.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 TTD 11.66

$1.35 ₡608

28.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 TTD 25.18

$3.24 ₡1,459

15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 TTD 30.63

$4.48 ₡2,018

1.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 TTD 17.38

$1.57 ₡707

64.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 TTD 15.87

$3.17 ₡1,429

-25.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 TTD 16.14

$2.42 ₡1,091

-0.83%

Eggs

$4.69 TTD 31.58

$3.57 ₡1,609

31.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.39 TTD 43.02

$7.43 ₡3,349

-14.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 TTD 50.1

$10.42 ₡4,697

-28.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.05 TTD 40.73

$13.66 ₡6,156

-55.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 TTD 27.05

$2.32 ₡1,044

73.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 TTD 16.73

$1.61 ₡728

54.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 TTD 15.67

$4.74 ₡2,138

-50.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 TTD 15.84

$1.66 ₡747

41.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 TTD 6.39

$3.72 ₡1,679

-74.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 TTD 10.89

$3.57 ₡1,611

-54.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 TTD 12.16

$1.10 ₡497

64.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 TTD 10.04

$2.55 ₡1,149

-41.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 TTD 29.23

$4.95 ₡2,232

-12.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.95 TTD 148

$20.01 ₡9,020

9.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 TTD 24.75

$2.79 ₡1,256

31.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 TTD 29.18

$3.53 ₡1,589

22.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 TTD 4.76

$1.19 ₡537

-40.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 TTD 5.15

$2.24 ₡1,011

-65.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.66 TTD 58.3

$8.86 ₡3,993

-2.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 TTD 6.91

$1.57 ₡708

-34.39%

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)

$60.0 TTD 404

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-35.79%

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

$26.57 TTD 179

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-24.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.1 TTD 505

$51.5 ₡23.2K

45.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 TTD 351

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-26.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.59 TTD 51.1

$7.84 ₡3,535

-3.19%

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

$74.3 TTD 500

$490 ₡220.7K

-84.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.74 TTD 294

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-18.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.89 TTD 329

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-12.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 TTD 958

$79.3 ₡35.7K

79.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 TTD 600

$78.9 ₡35.6K

13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 TTD 2,737

$786 ₡354.3K

-48.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 TTD 2,197

$780 ₡351.6K

-58.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 TTD 3,715

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-85.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 TTD 3,524

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-62.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$730 TTD 4,915

$876 ₡395.0K

-16.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Tobago: 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

Tobago

$327 27%

Nosara

$780 43% 139% $453

Groceries & Markets

Tobago

$311 25.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 12.5% $39

Eating Out

Tobago

$196 16.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 6.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tobago

$162 13.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 11.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Tobago

$146 12%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 17.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Tobago

$67 5.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 29.3% $20

Getting Around

Tobago

$3.6 * 0.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 2313% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $407 in Tobago 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 20% higher in Nosara, 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 $42.00 in Tobago versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $350 – making Tobago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇹 Tobago

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:08 10:08 PM

20:08 8:08 PM

2 h behind Tobago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar TTD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 TTD = 0.149 USD

1 TTD = 0.133 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to TTD – Trinidad and Tobago Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago Dollar ($)

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.73 TTD (1 TTD = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.55 TTD (1 TTD = 0.133 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 TTD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tobago Nosara 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Tobago
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

Tobago vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,202 in Tobago, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 53% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Tobago 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 Tobago, 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 $42.00 in Tobago and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tobago, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Tobago 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 $1,202 in Tobago 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 Tobago. 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.