Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cupertino, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,358 in Cupertino, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

164

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Cupertino, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,358

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,358 per month in Cupertino, CA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Cupertino, CA $3,358
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $5,303 per month in Cupertino, CA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Cupertino, CA $5,303
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $7,248 per month in Cupertino, CA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Cupertino, CA $7,248
Nosara $3,818

Cupertino, CA costs about 83% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cupertino, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Cupertino, CA by 149%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 $25.18

$12.35 ₡5,539

103.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 $50.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-18.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$7.52 ₡3,373

31.38%

Cappuccino

$6.11 $6.11

$4.41 ₡1,978

38.55%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$1.74 ₡780

40.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.31 ₡587

67.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 $6.80

$3.28 ₡1,471

107.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$4.47 ₡2,004

74.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.56 ₡701

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.02 ₡1,355

10.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.51 ₡1,125

71.31%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$3.57 ₡1,603

42.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$7.43 ₡3,333

-10.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.46 $13.46

$10.52 ₡4,717

27.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 $13.14

$13.97 ₡6,265

-5.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.35 ₡1,052

64.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.61 ₡720

32.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$4.80 ₡2,152

-53.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.61 ₡724

73.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.80 ₡1,703

-33.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.69 ₡1,657

-14.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.13 ₡507

118.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.66 ₡1,191

-61.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$5.18 ₡2,321

125.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.88 $12.88

$19.88 ₡8,916

-35.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.90 ₡1,300

-34.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$3.63 ₡1,626

-44.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.12 ₡504

164.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$72.6 ₡32.6K

91.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.14 ₡958

97.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.57 ₡703

32.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.90 $29.90

$8.52 ₡3,823

250.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.52 ₡682

-2.63%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

70.28%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-21.53%

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

$257 $257

$96.3 ₡43.2K

166.95%

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

$61.6 $61.6

$35.89 ₡16.1K

71.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 $65.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

22.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.40 $35.40

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-50.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$15.70 $15.70

$7.89 ₡3,539

98.99%

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

$2,117 $2,117

$494 ₡221.6K

328.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

107.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 $57.3

$53.9 ₡24.2K

6.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.32 $35.32

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-36.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 $87.8

$77.9 ₡34.9K

12.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 $58.8

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-26.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,591 $2,591

$788 ₡353.4K

228.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 $1,920

$794 ₡356.2K

141.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,925 $4,925

$3,939 ₡1.8M

25.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,292 $4,292

$1,419 ₡636.5K

202.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,633 $7,633

$864 ₡387.3K

783.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

8.62

-24.25%

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

Last update for Cupertino, 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

Cupertino, CA

$1.9K 57.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 58.6% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cupertino, CA

$384 11.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 51.6% $198

Eating Out

Cupertino, CA

$373 11.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 43.1% $161

Groceries & Markets

Cupertino, CA

$341 10.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 3.3% $11

Getting Around

Cupertino, CA

$165 4.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 47.3% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Cupertino, CA

$108 3.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 11.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Cupertino, CA

$67 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 30.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,591 in Cupertino, CA 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 784% higher in Cupertino, CA, 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 $50.0 in Cupertino, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $352 – making Cupertino, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cupertino, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

13:03 1:03 PM

1 h ahead of Cupertino, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,302

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cupertino, CA Nosara 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Cupertino, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,358 in Cupertino, CA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 83% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,036 per month in Cupertino, CA and $2,758 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Cupertino, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Cupertino, CA and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Cupertino, CA at $3,358. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cupertino, CA 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $3,358 in Cupertino, CA. 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, Cupertino, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.