Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Modesto, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,634 in Modesto, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Modesto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,634

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,634 per month in Modesto, CA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Modesto, CA $2,634
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,994 per month in Modesto, CA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Modesto, CA $3,994
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,354 per month in Modesto, CA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Modesto, CA $5,354
Nosara $3,712

Modesto, CA costs about 43% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Modesto, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Modesto, CA by 97%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 $14.85

$12.22 ₡5,509

21.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$60.2 ₡27.1K

31.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 $9.02

$7.54 ₡3,399

19.63%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$4.31 ₡1,941

29.00%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$1.72 ₡773

49.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.35 ₡608

21.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.24 ₡1,459

54.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$4.48 ₡2,018

59.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.57 ₡707

-29.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.17 ₡1,429

11.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.42 ₡1,091

74.38%

Eggs

$5.55 $5.55

$3.57 ₡1,609

55.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 $13.00

$7.43 ₡3,349

74.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 $13.57

$10.42 ₡4,697

30.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.45 $19.45

$13.66 ₡6,156

42.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.32 ₡1,044

132.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.61 ₡728

19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.74 ₡2,138

12.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$1.66 ₡747

224.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.72 ₡1,679

-3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.57 ₡1,611

-18.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.10 ₡497

121.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.55 ₡1,149

-3.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.69 $11.69

$4.95 ₡2,232

136.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$20.01 ₡9,020

-26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.79 ₡1,256

-31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.53 ₡1,589

-6.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.19 ₡537

63.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.63 $40.63

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-43.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.24 ₡1,011

54.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.55 ₡701

96.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.63 $29.63

$8.86 ₡3,993

234.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.57 ₡708

-10.83%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

65.86%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-25.64%

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

$262 $262

$93.5 ₡42.1K

180.73%

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

$47.75 $47.75

$35.11 ₡15.8K

36.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$51.5 ₡23.2K

34.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.66 $41.66

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-41.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-57.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 $10.81

$7.84 ₡3,535

37.88%

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

$1,792 $1,792

$490 ₡220.7K

266.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.5K $40.5K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

241.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.10 $48.10

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-10.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.40 $39.40

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-29.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 $94.5

$79.3 ₡35.7K

19.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$78.9 ₡35.6K

51.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 $1,425

$786 ₡354.3K

81.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 $1,293

$780 ₡351.6K

65.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 $2,438

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-36.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,403 $2,403

$1,407 ₡634.4K

70.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,151 $3,151

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-54.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,185 $3,185

$1,201 ₡541.3K

165.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,038 $4,038

$876 ₡395.0K

360.76%

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 Modesto, CA: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Modesto, CA

$1.3K 48.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 39.7% $513

Groceries & Markets

Modesto, CA

$439 16.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 20.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Modesto, CA

$380 14.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 52.6% $199

Eating Out

Modesto, CA

$269 10.2%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 22.1% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Modesto, CA

$136 5.1%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 11.4% $15

Getting Around

Modesto, CA

$67 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 29.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Modesto, CA

$63 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 37.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,425 in Modesto, 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 361% higher in Modesto, 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 $79.0 in Modesto, CA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Modesto, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

06:44 6:44 AM

1 h ahead of Modesto, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,266

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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Modesto, CA Nosara 4,680 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Modesto, 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

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

Modesto, CA costs about 43% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,952 per month in Modesto, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,634 in Modesto, CA and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 43%.

Public transport costs about 77% 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 $1,837, than in Modesto, CA at $2,634. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Modesto, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $2,634 in Modesto, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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