Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hermosa Beach, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Hermosa Beach, CA
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Hermosa Beach, CA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Hermosa Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,748

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,748 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Hermosa Beach, CA $2,748
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $4,129 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Hermosa Beach, CA $4,129
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,511 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Hermosa Beach, CA $5,511
Nosara $3,814

Hermosa Beach, CA costs about 50% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hermosa Beach, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Hermosa Beach, CA by 103%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.31 $25.31

$12.34 ₡5,535

105.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$61.3 ₡27.5K

96.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.05 $15.05

$7.76 ₡3,481

93.94%

Cappuccino

$6.10 $6.10

$4.44 ₡1,992

37.39%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$1.79 ₡803

71.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.29 ₡580

79.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.24 ₡1,451

143.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.03 $10.03

$4.43 ₡1,985

126.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.55 ₡696

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.08 ₡1,380

52.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.53 ₡1,133

87.35%

Eggs

$5.51 $5.51

$3.45 ₡1,546

59.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 $11.56

$7.32 ₡3,284

57.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 $9.02

$10.24 ₡4,594

-11.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.23 $19.23

$14.10 ₡6,326

36.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.29 ₡1,027

104.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.64 ₡737

40.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$4.79 ₡2,149

-17.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$1.64 ₡735

240.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.85 ₡1,727

-15.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.75 ₡1,681

-22.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.09 ₡488

83.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.59 ₡1,160

-5.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$5.12 ₡2,295

133.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$19.92 ₡8,931

-25.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.80 ₡1,255

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.52 ₡1,580

-21.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.22 ₡549

60.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.17 ₡973

40.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.56 ₡698

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.13 $32.13

$8.67 ₡3,886

270.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.55 ₡697

-0.65%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-16.16%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-30.62%

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

$217 $217

$94.8 ₡42.5K

129.07%

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

$77.3 $77.3

$36.15 ₡16.2K

113.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 $76.2

$53.1 ₡23.8K

43.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.90 $41.90

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-43.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 $15.06

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-57.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.68 $17.68

$7.91 ₡3,548

123.51%

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

$1,636 $1,636

$490 ₡219.9K

233.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

4.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$54.8 ₡24.6K

12.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.44 $48.44

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-13.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$80.4 ₡36.0K

31.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$77.9 ₡34.9K

34.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 $1,566

$801 ₡359.1K

95.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 $1,314

$790 ₡354.1K

66.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 $2,537

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-36.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$1,409 ₡632.0K

52.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,944 $2,944

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-58.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,224 $2,224

$1,236 ₡554.3K

79.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,062 $7,062

$887 ₡397.6K

696.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

8.62

-26.80%

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

Last update for Hermosa Beach, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hermosa Beach, CA

$1.3K 47.8%

Nosara

$790 43% 39.9% $524

Groceries & Markets

Hermosa Beach, CA

$420 15.3%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 16.7% $70

Eating Out

Hermosa Beach, CA

$402 14.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 47.1% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hermosa Beach, CA

$371 13.5%

Nosara

$184 10% 50.4% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Hermosa Beach, CA

$144 5.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 16% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Hermosa Beach, CA

$77 2.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 16% $12

Getting Around

Hermosa Beach, CA

$20 * 0.7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 344% $69

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,566 in Hermosa Beach, CA versus $801 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 697% higher in Hermosa Beach, 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 $121 in Hermosa Beach, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hermosa Beach, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

17:09 5:09 PM

1 h ahead of Hermosa Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,728

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 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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Highest

Between locations

Hermosa Beach, CA Nosara 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hermosa Beach, 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

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

Yes – Hermosa Beach, CA is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,121 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA and $2,753 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 $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, CA and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 50%.

Kindergarten costs $1,636 per month in Hermosa Beach, CA and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Hermosa Beach, CA at $2,748. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hermosa Beach, 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, Hermosa Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.