Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davis, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,382 in Davis, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Davis, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,382

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,382 per month in Davis, CA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Davis, CA $3,382
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $5,016 per month in Davis, CA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Davis, CA $5,016
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $6,650 per month in Davis, CA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Davis, CA $6,650
Nosara $3,818

Davis, CA costs about 84% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Davis, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Davis, CA by 151%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 $22.16

$12.35 ₡5,539

79.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$61.2 ₡27.4K

66.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.52 ₡3,373

71.54%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$4.41 ₡1,978

20.18%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.74 ₡780

113.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.31 ₡587

81.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$3.28 ₡1,471

150.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 $8.10

$4.47 ₡2,004

81.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.56 ₡701

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.02 ₡1,355

22.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.51 ₡1,125

66.53%

Eggs

$5.20 $5.20

$3.57 ₡1,603

45.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 $11.16

$7.43 ₡3,333

50.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.47 $15.47

$10.52 ₡4,717

47.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$13.97 ₡6,265

23.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.35 ₡1,052

118.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.61 ₡720

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.80 ₡2,152

-11.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.61 ₡724

186.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.80 ₡1,703

-27.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.69 ₡1,657

-21.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.13 ₡507

95.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.66 ₡1,191

-13.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$5.18 ₡2,321

94.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.86 $15.86

$19.88 ₡8,916

-20.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.90 ₡1,300

-40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.63 ₡1,626

-7.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.12 ₡504

32.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.89 $37.89

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-47.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.14 ₡958

37.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.57 ₡703

-0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.28 $28.28

$8.52 ₡3,823

231.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.52 ₡682

-8.55%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

69.10%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.98%

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

$293 $293

$96.3 ₡43.2K

204.34%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$35.89 ₡16.1K

64.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$53.6 ₡24.0K

41.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.3 $58.3

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-18.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$15.57 $15.57

$7.89 ₡3,539

97.34%

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

$1,403 $1,403

$494 ₡221.6K

183.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

76.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 $54.6

$53.9 ₡24.2K

1.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.84 $41.84

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-24.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 $97.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

24.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$79.6 ₡35.7K

42.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$788 ₡353.4K

179.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 $1,887

$794 ₡356.2K

137.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,761 $3,761

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-4.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,355 $3,355

$1,419 ₡636.5K

136.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,760 $2,760

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-60.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$1,224 ₡549.0K

97.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,017 $5,017

$864 ₡387.3K

480.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

8.62

-29.23%

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

Last update for Davis, CA: 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

Davis, CA

$1.9K 55.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 57.9% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davis, CA

$428 12.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 56.6% $242

Groceries & Markets

Davis, CA

$423 12.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 16.8% $71

Eating Out

Davis, CA

$361 10.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 41.4% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Davis, CA

$138 4.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 13.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Davis, CA

$89 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 2.3% $2.1

Getting Around

Davis, CA

$55 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 59.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,203 in Davis, 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 481% higher in Davis, 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 $102 in Davis, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $423 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Davis, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

12:47 12:47 PM

1 h ahead of Davis, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,850

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Davis, CA Nosara 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Davis, 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

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

Yes – Davis, CA is pricier by about 84%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,073 per month in Davis, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,382 in Davis, CA and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 84%.

Public transport costs about 92% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Davis, CA at $3,382. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Davis, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Davis, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.