Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lompoc, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,001 in Lompoc, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lompoc, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,001

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,001 in Lompoc, CA versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Lompoc, CA $3,001
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,213 in Lompoc, CA versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Lompoc, CA $4,213
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,425 in Lompoc, CA versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Lompoc, CA $5,425
Nosara $3,818

Living in Lompoc, CA is roughly 63% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lompoc, CA 122% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.45 $25.45

$12.35 ₡5,539

106.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$61.2 ₡27.4K

65.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 $11.59

$7.52 ₡3,373

54.12%

Cappuccino

$5.50 $5.50

$4.41 ₡1,978

24.72%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.74 ₡780

54.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.31 ₡587

54.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$3.28 ₡1,471

142.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 $9.80

$4.47 ₡2,004

119.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.56 ₡701

-40.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.02 ₡1,355

-6.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.51 ₡1,125

76.49%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$3.57 ₡1,603

14.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.65 $12.65

$7.43 ₡3,333

70.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.40 $20.40

$10.52 ₡4,717

93.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.09 $14.09

$13.97 ₡6,265

0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$2.35 ₡1,052

132.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.61 ₡720

10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.80 ₡2,152

-11.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.34 $6.34

$1.61 ₡724

293.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.80 ₡1,703

-4.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.69 ₡1,657

-5.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.13 ₡507

-13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.66 ₡1,191

-17.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$5.18 ₡2,321

123.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$19.88 ₡8,916

-25.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.63 ₡1,626

-12.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.14 ₡958

111.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.57 ₡703

19.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.86 $35.86

$8.52 ₡3,823

320.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.52 ₡682

-14.47%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

68.71%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.99%

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

$214 $214

$96.3 ₡43.2K

122.22%

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

$70.0 $70.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

94.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$53.6 ₡24.0K

30.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.57 $24.57

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-65.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 $11.89

$7.89 ₡3,539

50.70%

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

$1,963 $1,963

$494 ₡221.6K

297.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K $42.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

259.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.8 $73.8

$53.9 ₡24.2K

36.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.96 $40.96

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-26.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 $81.3

$77.9 ₡34.9K

4.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 $173

$79.6 ₡35.7K

117.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 $1,820

$788 ₡353.4K

130.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 $1,603

$794 ₡356.2K

101.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,995 $2,995

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-23.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 $2,220

$1,419 ₡636.5K

56.44%

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)

$7,981 $7,981

$864 ₡387.3K

824.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

8.62

-28.07%

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

Last update for Lompoc, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lompoc, CA

$1.6K 53.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 50.4% $809

Groceries & Markets

Lompoc, CA

$433 14.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 18.7% $81

Eating Out

Lompoc, CA

$383 12.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 44.6% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lompoc, CA

$354 11.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 47.5% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Lompoc, CA

$166 5.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 27.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Lompoc, CA

$48 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 80.7% $39

Getting Around

Lompoc, CA

$14 * 0.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 527% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,820 in Lompoc, CA and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lompoc, CA pays 824% 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: $101 in Lompoc, CA vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lompoc, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:21 10:21 PM

23:21 11:21 PM

1 h ahead of Lompoc, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,509

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

Lompoc, CA Nosara 4,470 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Lompoc, 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

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

Lompoc, CA and Nosara differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($3,001 vs $1,839 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 824% higher in Lompoc, 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: $1,820 in Lompoc, CA versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,963 in Lompoc, CA versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $101 in Lompoc, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,001 in Lompoc, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Lompoc, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lompoc, 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 63% less than in Lompoc, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.