Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chico, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,515 in Chico, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Chico, CA
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Chico, CA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Chico, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,515 in Chico, CA versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Chico, CA $2,515
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,036 in Chico, CA versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Chico, CA $4,036
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,556 in Chico, CA versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Chico, CA $5,556
Nosara $3,818

Living in Chico, CA is roughly 37% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chico, CA 86% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.46 $25.46

$12.35 ₡5,539

106.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 $50.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-18.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$7.52 ₡3,373

60.24%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$4.41 ₡1,978

30.84%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.74 ₡780

51.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.31 ₡587

73.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$3.28 ₡1,471

123.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$4.47 ₡2,004

83.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.56 ₡701

-27.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.02 ₡1,355

-0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.51 ₡1,125

39.84%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$3.57 ₡1,603

36.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$7.43 ₡3,333

49.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.52 ₡4,717

15.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.12 $23.12

$13.97 ₡6,265

65.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.35 ₡1,052

131.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.61 ₡720

45.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$4.80 ₡2,152

-20.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$1.61 ₡724

250.31%

Potato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.80 ₡1,703

31.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.69 ₡1,657

-15.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.13 ₡507

117.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.66 ₡1,191

-3.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 $8.01

$5.18 ₡2,321

54.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 $14.92

$19.88 ₡8,916

-24.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.90 ₡1,300

-39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.63 ₡1,626

-0.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.12 ₡504

162.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.74 $34.74

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-52.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.14 ₡958

50.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.57 ₡703

53.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.65 $40.65

$8.52 ₡3,823

377.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.52 ₡682

-6.58%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

67.99%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-28.36%

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

$185 $185

$96.3 ₡43.2K

91.89%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$35.89 ₡16.1K

37.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$53.6 ₡24.0K

26.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 $77.0

$71.6 ₡32.1K

7.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 $13.12

$7.89 ₡3,539

66.29%

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

$1,837 $1,837

$494 ₡221.6K

271.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K $37.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

212.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-5.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.08 $31.08

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-43.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 $70.3

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-9.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 $98.8

$79.6 ₡35.7K

24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 $1,508

$788 ₡353.4K

91.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 $1,123

$794 ₡356.2K

41.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,933 $2,933

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-25.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,590 $2,590

$1,419 ₡636.5K

82.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,210 $3,210

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-53.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 $2,919

$1,224 ₡549.0K

138.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,832 $3,832

$864 ₡387.3K

343.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.28

8.62

-27.15%

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

Last update for Chico, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chico, CA

$1.1K 44.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 29.3% $329

Groceries & Markets

Chico, CA

$430 17.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 18.1% $78

Eating Out

Chico, CA

$382 15.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 44.5% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chico, CA

$302 12%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 38.5% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Chico, CA

$113 4.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 6.2% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Chico, CA

$103 4.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 15.4% $16

Getting Around

Chico, CA

$62 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 41% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Chico, CA and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chico, CA pays 344% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Chico, CA vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $430 vs $352, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chico, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:22 11:22 PM

00:22 12:22 AM

1 h ahead of Chico, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,316

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chico, CA Nosara 4,870 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chico, CA
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

Chico, CA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 344% higher in Chico, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,508 in Chico, CA versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $50.0 in Chico, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,515 per month in Chico, CA versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,515 in Chico, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Chico, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chico, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chico, CA and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Chico, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.