Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tortola and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,412 in Tortola, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Tortola

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,412

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,412 per month in Tortola vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Tortola $2,412
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,179 per month in Tortola vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Tortola $4,179
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,947 per month in Tortola vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Tortola $5,947
Nosara $3,712

Tortola costs about 31% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tortola and Nosara sit above the global median – Tortola by 80%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.16 $21.16

$12.22 ₡5,509

73.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.9 $82.9

$60.2 ₡27.1K

37.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$7.54 ₡3,399

98.14%

Cappuccino

$7.95 $7.95

$4.31 ₡1,941

84.45%

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

$1.88 $1.88

$1.72 ₡773

9.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.35 ₡608

0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.24 ₡1,459

21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 $4.91

$4.48 ₡2,018

9.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.57 ₡707

87.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.17 ₡1,429

42.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$2.42 ₡1,091

174.79%

Eggs

$7.40 $7.40

$3.57 ₡1,609

107.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.43 ₡3,349

76.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.24 $13.24

$10.42 ₡4,697

27.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 $19.93

$13.66 ₡6,156

45.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.32 ₡1,044

-13.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.61 ₡728

145.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$4.74 ₡2,138

-56.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$1.66 ₡747

354.82%

Potato (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.72 ₡1,679

62.90%

Onion (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$3.57 ₡1,611

41.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$12.04 $12.04

$1.10 ₡497

994.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 $4.95

$4.95 ₡2,232

Wine (Bottle)

$10.98 $10.98

$20.01 ₡9,020

-45.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.79 ₡1,256

44.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

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)

$102 $102

$93.5 ₡42.1K

8.71%

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

$98.9 $98.9

$35.11 ₡15.8K

181.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$100.0 $100.0

$51.5 ₡23.2K

94.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$19.76 $19.76

$7.84 ₡3,535

152.04%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 $1,403

$786 ₡354.3K

78.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 $1,271

$780 ₡351.6K

62.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,355 $3,355

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-13.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,053 $3,053

$1,407 ₡634.4K

116.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

810.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,614 $1,614

$876 ₡395.0K

84.19%

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 Tortola: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tortola

–

Nosara

$780 43%

Groceries & Markets

Tortola

–

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Eating Out

Tortola

–

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tortola

–

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Tortola

–

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Tortola

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Tortola

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,403 in Tortola 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 84% higher in Tortola, 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 $83.0 in Tortola versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $494 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇬 Tortola

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

01:36 1:36 AM

2 h behind Tortola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,449

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tortola Nosara 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tortola
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

Tortola vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,412 in Tortola, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,618 per month in Tortola 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 Nosara, 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 $83.0 in Tortola and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,412 in Tortola and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 31%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Tortola at $2,412. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tortola 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $2,412 in Tortola. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tortola makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.