Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fresno, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,894 in Fresno, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Fresno, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,894

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,894 per month in Fresno, CA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Fresno, CA $2,894
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,460 per month in Fresno, CA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Fresno, CA $4,460
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $6,026 per month in Fresno, CA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Fresno, CA $6,026
Nosara $3,712

Fresno, CA costs about 58% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fresno, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Fresno, CA by 116%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.18 $20.18

$12.22 ₡5,509

65.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 $70.5

$60.2 ₡27.1K

17.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.12 $14.12

$7.54 ₡3,399

87.27%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$4.31 ₡1,941

19.49%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$1.72 ₡773

75.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.35 ₡608

58.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 $6.79

$3.24 ₡1,459

109.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.11 $9.11

$4.48 ₡2,018

103.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.57 ₡707

-28.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.17 ₡1,429

-15.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.42 ₡1,091

92.98%

Eggs

$5.38 $5.38

$3.57 ₡1,609

50.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.02 $11.02

$7.43 ₡3,349

48.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$10.42 ₡4,697

-8.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.58 $15.58

$13.66 ₡6,156

14.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.32 ₡1,044

118.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.61 ₡728

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.74 ₡2,138

-8.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.66 ₡747

95.78%

Potato (1kg)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.72 ₡1,679

113.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.57 ₡1,611

-23.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.10 ₡497

121.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.55 ₡1,149

18.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.19 $12.19

$4.95 ₡2,232

146.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.06 $18.06

$20.01 ₡9,020

-9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.79 ₡1,256

-21.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.53 ₡1,589

81.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.19 ₡537

1.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.99 $47.99

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-33.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.24 ₡1,011

84.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.55 ₡701

-1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.90 $27.90

$8.86 ₡3,993

214.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.57 ₡708

-7.01%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

71.90%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-11.71%

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

$238 $238

$93.5 ₡42.1K

154.60%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$35.11 ₡15.8K

51.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 $76.8

$51.5 ₡23.2K

49.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.32 $38.32

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-46.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.97 $41.97

$35.44 ₡16.0K

18.43%

Cinema Ticket

$17.44 $17.44

$7.84 ₡3,535

122.45%

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

$1,206 $1,206

$490 ₡220.7K

146.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K $12.9K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

8.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 $60.3

$53.5 ₡24.1K

12.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 $43.19

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-22.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 $97.3

$79.3 ₡35.7K

22.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 $174

$78.9 ₡35.6K

120.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$786 ₡354.3K

117.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$780 ₡351.6K

87.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,183 $3,183

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-17.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,902 $2,902

$1,407 ₡634.4K

106.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,700 $2,700

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-61.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,120 $3,120

$1,201 ₡541.3K

159.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,687 $3,687

$876 ₡395.0K

320.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

8.62

-25.75%

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

Last update for Fresno, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fresno, CA

$1.5K 50.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 46.7% $682

Groceries & Markets

Fresno, CA

$412 14.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 15.2% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fresno, CA

$368 12.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 51.1% $188

Eating Out

Fresno, CA

$338 11.7%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 38.1% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Fresno, CA

$169 5.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 28.6% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Fresno, CA

$73 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 19% $14

Getting Around

Fresno, CA

$65 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 34.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,712 in Fresno, CA 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 321% higher in Fresno, 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 $71.0 in Fresno, CA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fresno, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

23:12 11:12 PM

1 h ahead of Fresno, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

520,052

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fresno, CA Nosara 4,540 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Fresno, 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

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

Yes – Fresno, CA is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,341 per month in Fresno, CA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Fresno, CA and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,894 in Fresno, CA and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 58%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Fresno, CA at $2,894. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fresno, 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, Fresno, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.