Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Windsor, NS and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,846 a month against $2,212 in Windsor, NS, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Windsor, NS
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Windsor, NS Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Windsor, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,212

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,212 per month in Windsor, NS vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

Windsor, NS $2,212
Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $3,268 per month in Windsor, NS vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

Windsor, NS $3,268
Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $4,324 per month in Windsor, NS vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

Windsor, NS $4,324
Nosara $3,820

Windsor, NS costs about 20% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Windsor, NS and Nosara sit above the global median – Windsor, NS by 62%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.93 CA$26.60

$12.36 ₡5,575

53.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 CA$49.90

$60.8 ₡27.4K

-41.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 CA$15.20

$7.88 ₡3,557

37.31%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.13

$4.40 ₡1,986

-17.05%

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

$2.06 CA$2.89

$1.72 ₡776

19.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.62

$1.34 ₡603

39.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 CA$6.17

$3.34 ₡1,505

31.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 CA$7.86

$4.54 ₡2,048

23.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 CA$4.13

$1.64 ₡739

79.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 CA$3.99

$3.16 ₡1,426

-10.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.98

$2.39 ₡1,080

48.12%

Eggs

$3.74 CA$5.26

$3.47 ₡1,564

7.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 CA$19.25

$7.13 ₡3,217

92.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.31 CA$21.51

$10.32 ₡4,655

48.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 CA$18.56

$13.97 ₡6,302

-5.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.76 CA$8.10

$2.29 ₡1,031

151.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CA$2.17

$1.62 ₡731

-4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 CA$6.67

$4.81 ₡2,169

-1.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 CA$8.14

$1.68 ₡758

244.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 CA$2.91

$3.91 ₡1,765

-47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.02

$3.63 ₡1,640

-40.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CA$3.50

$1.13 ₡509

120.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.95

$2.63 ₡1,188

-20.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 CA$19.91

$5.02 ₡2,267

182.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 CA$20.16

$19.71 ₡8,893

-27.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 CA$4.60

$2.91 ₡1,314

12.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 CA$5.54

$3.54 ₡1,597

11.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 CA$3.57

$1.21 ₡545

109.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 CA$89.9

$73.8 ₡33.3K

-13.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 CA$4.03

$2.15 ₡969

33.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.96

$1.63 ₡738

-14.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.04 CA$29.56

$8.77 ₡3,958

139.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.55 ₡700

-21.29%

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

$26.7K CA$37.6K

$33.9K ₡15.3M

-21.11%

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

$21.3K CA$29.9K

$38.5K ₡17.4M

-44.67%

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

$125 CA$176

$95.2 ₡43.0K

31.78%

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

$31.80 CA$44.68

$36.29 ₡16.4K

-12.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.09 CA$50.7

$52.0 ₡23.5K

-30.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.05 CA$50.7

$67.6 ₡30.5K

-46.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.45 CA$24.52

$35.55 ₡16.0K

-50.91%

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 CA$18.16

$7.54 ₡3,404

71.35%

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

$379 CA$532

$496 ₡224.0K

-23.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K CA$19.3K

$11.8K ₡5.3M

16.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 CA$84.2

$55.1 ₡24.9K

8.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.29 CA$49.58

$56.1 ₡25.3K

-37.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$77.8 ₡35.1K

32.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 CA$165

$79.1 ₡35.7K

48.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 CA$1,777

$817 ₡368.9K

54.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 CA$1,440

$806 ₡363.6K

27.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CA$2,576

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-54.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 CA$2,457

$1,429 ₡644.9K

22.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,604 CA$6,468

$7,068 ₡3.2M

-34.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,447 CA$4,844

$1,197 ₡540.1K

188.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$940 CA$1,321

$888 ₡400.7K

5.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

8.62

-46.64%

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

Last update for Windsor, NS: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Windsor, NS

$1K 46.3%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 21.4% $219

Groceries & Markets

Windsor, NS

$429 19.4%

Nosara

$351 19% 18.1% $78

Eating Out

Windsor, NS

$277 12.5%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 22.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Windsor, NS

$193 8.7%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 5.1% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Windsor, NS

$142 6.4%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 15.1% $21

Getting Around

Windsor, NS

$84 3.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 5.8% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Windsor, NS

$62 2.8%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 33.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,265 in Windsor, NS versus $817 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 6% higher in Windsor, NS, 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 $36 in Windsor, NS versus $61 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $429 in Windsor, NS vs $351 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Windsor, NS

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

04:59 4:59 AM

3 h behind Windsor, NS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,188

4,912

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.712 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Windsor, NS Nosara 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Windsor, NS
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, NS vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,212 in Windsor, NS, $1,846 in Nosara – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,317 per month in Windsor, NS and $2,769 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $1,265 in Windsor, NS.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Windsor, NS. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $379 per month in Windsor, NS and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,212 in Windsor, NS and $1,846 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,846 in Nosara to $2,212 in Windsor, NS. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Windsor, NS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.