Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Windsor and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,225 in Windsor, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Windsor
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Windsor Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Windsor

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,225

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,225 per month in Windsor vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Windsor $2,225
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,068 per month in Windsor vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Windsor $3,068
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,910 per month in Windsor vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Windsor $3,910
Nosara $3,712

Windsor costs about 21% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Windsor and Nosara sit above the global median – Windsor by 66%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 CA$20.01

$12.22 ₡5,509

14.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 CA$88.8

$60.2 ₡27.1K

3.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 CA$14.78

$7.54 ₡3,399

37.53%

Cappuccino

$3.57 CA$5.09

$4.31 ₡1,941

-17.17%

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

$2.50 CA$3.56

$1.72 ₡773

45.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.56

$1.35 ₡608

32.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.00 CA$7.13

$3.24 ₡1,459

54.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 CA$8.22

$4.48 ₡2,018

28.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 CA$2.56

$1.57 ₡707

14.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 CA$2.90

$3.17 ₡1,429

-35.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 CA$4.31

$2.42 ₡1,091

25.21%

Eggs

$2.81 CA$4.01

$3.57 ₡1,609

-21.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 CA$14.01

$7.43 ₡3,349

32.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.04 CA$14.30

$10.42 ₡4,697

-3.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.88 CA$19.79

$13.66 ₡6,156

1.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.49

$2.32 ₡1,044

65.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 CA$1.45

$1.61 ₡728

-37.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.20

$4.74 ₡2,138

-37.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 CA$5.09

$1.66 ₡747

115.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 CA$2.82

$3.72 ₡1,679

-46.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CA$3.04

$3.57 ₡1,611

-40.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$1.10 ₡497

101.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.78

$2.55 ₡1,149

-50.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.39 CA$17.66

$4.95 ₡2,232

150.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 CA$16.53

$20.01 ₡9,020

-42.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 CA$2.73

$2.79 ₡1,256

-31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CA$4.60

$3.53 ₡1,589

-8.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.59 CA$3.69

$1.19 ₡537

117.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.1 CA$121

$72.1 ₡32.5K

18.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 CA$3.29

$2.24 ₡1,011

3.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 CA$1.38

$1.55 ₡701

-37.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.93 CA$19.85

$8.86 ₡3,993

57.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.57 ₡708

-22.29%

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

$27.3K CA$38.9K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

25.14%

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

$19.2K CA$27.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-44.63%

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

$181 CA$258

$93.5 ₡42.1K

93.58%

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

$37.70 CA$53.7

$35.11 ₡15.8K

7.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 CA$78.5

$51.5 ₡23.2K

6.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.44 CA$63.4

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-37.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.33 CA$40.39

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-20.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 CA$14.73

$7.84 ₡3,535

31.76%

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

$496 CA$707

$490 ₡220.7K

1.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,221 CA$6,017

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-64.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.41 CA$61.9

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-18.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.01 CA$47.06

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-40.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 CA$115

$79.3 ₡35.7K

1.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 CA$115

$78.9 ₡35.6K

2.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 CA$1,662

$786 ₡354.3K

48.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 CA$1,652

$780 ₡351.6K

48.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 CA$2,551

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-53.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,507 CA$2,148

$1,407 ₡634.4K

7.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 CA$4,265

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-57.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,960 CA$4,219

$1,201 ₡541.3K

146.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 CA$4,215

$876 ₡395.0K

237.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.71

8.62

-45.36%

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

Last update for Windsor: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Windsor

$1.2K 51.3%

Nosara

$780 43% 32.7% $379

Groceries & Markets

Windsor

$311 13.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 12.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Windsor

$274 12.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 34.2% $94

Eating Out

Windsor

$240 10.6%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 12.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Windsor

$107 4.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 12.6% $14

Getting Around

Windsor

$103 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 15.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Windsor

$65 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 33.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,166 in Windsor 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 237% higher in Windsor, 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 $62.0 in Windsor versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $311 in Windsor vs $350 in Nosara – so Windsor wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Windsor

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

23:25 11:25 PM

2 h behind Windsor

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,188

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 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

Windsor Nosara 3,600 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Windsor
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

Windsor vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,225 in Windsor, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,338 per month in Windsor 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.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $496 per month in Windsor and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Windsor at $2,225. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Windsor 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 $2,225 in Windsor. 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, Windsor makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.