Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wakefield and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,025 in Wakefield, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Wakefield
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,025
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,025 per month in Wakefield vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Wakefield $2,025
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,205 per month in Wakefield vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Wakefield $3,205
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,384 per month in Wakefield vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Wakefield $4,384
  • Nosara $3,818

Wakefield costs about 10% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wakefield and Nosara sit above the global median – Wakefield by 50%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wakefield
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.01 £15.01
$12.35 ₡5,539
62.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.5 £60.4
$61.2 ₡27.4K
31.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.04 £7.53
$7.52 ₡3,373
33.51%
Cappuccino
$4.30 £3.22
$4.41 ₡1,978
-2.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 £1.74
$1.74 ₡780
33.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 £1.01
$1.31 ₡587
3.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.09 £4.57
$3.28 ₡1,471
85.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.37 £4.03
$4.47 ₡2,004
20.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wakefield
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 £1.11
$1.56 ₡701
-5.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 £1.44
$3.02 ₡1,355
-36.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.61 £1.96
$2.51 ₡1,125
3.98%
Eggs
$4.06 £3.05
$3.57 ₡1,603
13.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 £5.58
$7.43 ₡3,333
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.33 £6.25
$10.52 ₡4,717
-20.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 £10.50
$13.97 ₡6,265
0.14%
Apples (1kg)
$3.03 £2.27
$2.35 ₡1,052
28.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 £1.08
$1.61 ₡720
-10.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 £1.91
$4.80 ₡2,152
-46.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.92 £2.19
$1.61 ₡724
81.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.74 £1.30
$3.80 ₡1,703
-54.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 £1.25
$3.69 ₡1,657
-54.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 £0.89
$1.13 ₡507
4.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 £1.05
$2.66 ₡1,191
-47.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.05 £16.54
$5.18 ₡2,321
325.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.44 £7.83
$19.88 ₡8,916
-47.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.32 £2.49
$2.90 ₡1,300
14.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 £2.35
$3.63 ₡1,626
-13.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Wakefield
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.40 £2.55
$1.12 ₡504
203.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$103 £77.0
$72.6 ₡32.6K
41.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 £4.02
$2.14 ₡958
150.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 £1.07
$1.57 ₡703
-8.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.72 £11.80
$8.52 ₡3,823
84.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 £1.49
$1.52 ₡682
30.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.5K £28.1K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
73.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.8K £30.6K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
18.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wakefield
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$350 £262
$96.3 ₡43.2K
262.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.43 £11.58
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-57.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.92 £32.20
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-19.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wakefield
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.79 £26.10
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-51.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.16 £19.63
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-25.06%
Cinema Ticket
$14.10 £10.58
$7.89 ₡3,539
78.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wakefield
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,193 £895
$494 ₡221.6K
141.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.9K £17.9K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
101.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wakefield
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.2 £64.6
$53.9 ₡24.2K
59.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 £40.27
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-3.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.6 £69.4
$77.9 ₡34.9K
18.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.8 £66.6
$79.6 ₡35.7K
11.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wakefield
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$984 £738
$788 ₡353.4K
24.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$694 £521
$794 ₡356.2K
-12.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,076 £1,557
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-47.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,555 £1,167
$1,419 ₡636.5K
9.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,959 £2,970
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-42.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,683 £2,013
$1,224 ₡549.0K
119.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wakefield
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,455 £1,842
$864 ₡387.3K
184.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.77
8.62
-44.66%

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

Last update for Wakefield: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Wakefield
$694
Nosara
$794 14.4% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wakefield
$408
Nosara
$186 54.5% $222
Eating Out
Wakefield
$298
Nosara
$212 28.8% $86
Groceries & Markets
Wakefield
$289
Nosara
$352 21.9% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Wakefield
$145
Nosara
$120 16.9% $24
Getting Around
Wakefield
$129
Nosara
$87 32.3% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Wakefield
$63
Nosara
$87 38.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $984 in Wakefield 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 184% higher in Wakefield, 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 $81.0 in Wakefield versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Wakefield vs $352 in Nosara – so Wakefield wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Wakefield
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
04:20 4:20 AM
21:20 9:20 PM
7 h behind Wakefield
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
322,300
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wakefield Nosara 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Wakefield
  • 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
Wakefield vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Wakefield and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,025 in Wakefield, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Wakefield compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,038 per month in Wakefield and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Wakefield and Nosara?
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.
How do commuting costs compare in Wakefield and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 41% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Wakefield and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $1,193 per month in Wakefield and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Wakefield at $2,025. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wakefield it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Wakefield and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,025 in Wakefield. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Wakefield or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Wakefield and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Wakefield makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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