Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterey, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,616 in Monterey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

173

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Monterey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,616

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,616 per month in Monterey, CA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Monterey, CA $3,616
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $5,349 per month in Monterey, CA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Monterey, CA $5,349
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $7,082 per month in Monterey, CA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Monterey, CA $7,082
Nosara $3,814

Monterey, CA costs about 97% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Monterey, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Monterey, CA by 167%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.27 $20.27

$12.34 ₡5,535

64.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$61.3 ₡27.5K

28.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$7.76 ₡3,481

55.93%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$4.44 ₡1,992

17.57%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$1.79 ₡803

78.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.29 ₡580

25.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.24 ₡1,451

68.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.43 ₡1,985

36.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.55 ₡696

6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.08 ₡1,380

2.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.53 ₡1,133

3.95%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$3.45 ₡1,546

32.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$7.32 ₡3,284

30.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.38 $13.38

$10.24 ₡4,594

30.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$14.10 ₡6,326

-56.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.29 ₡1,027

59.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.64 ₡737

-26.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.79 ₡2,149

-32.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.64 ₡735

143.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.85 ₡1,727

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.75 ₡1,681

-47.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.09 ₡488

59.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$2.59 ₡1,160

-51.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 $11.59

$5.12 ₡2,295

126.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 $17.31

$19.92 ₡8,931

-13.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.80 ₡1,255

-2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$3.52 ₡1,580

-47.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.22 ₡549

65.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 $52.9

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-28.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.17 ₡973

-27.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.56 ₡698

-39.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.04 $35.04

$8.67 ₡3,886

304.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.55 ₡697

-1.29%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-16.38%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-33.44%

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

$238 $238

$94.8 ₡42.5K

151.09%

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

$75.1 $75.1

$36.15 ₡16.2K

107.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 $71.7

$53.1 ₡23.8K

35.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.1 $84.1

$73.8 ₡33.1K

13.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.63 $10.63

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-70.17%

Cinema Ticket

$12.75 $12.75

$7.91 ₡3,548

61.19%

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

$555 $555

$490 ₡219.9K

13.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

5.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 $76.8

$54.8 ₡24.6K

40.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.2 $90.2

$55.9 ₡25.1K

61.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 $129

$80.4 ₡36.0K

60.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$77.9 ₡34.9K

72.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 $2,490

$801 ₡359.1K

210.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$790 ₡354.1K

179.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,056 $4,056

$4,005 ₡1.8M

1.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,027 $4,027

$1,409 ₡632.0K

185.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,909 $7,909

$7,064 ₡3.2M

11.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,838 $5,838

$1,236 ₡554.3K

372.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,771 $4,771

$887 ₡397.6K

438.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

8.62

-23.20%

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

Last update for Monterey, 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

Monterey, CA

$2.2K 61%

Nosara

$790 43% 64.2% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterey, CA

$385 10.6%

Nosara

$184 10% 52.2% $201

Groceries & Markets

Monterey, CA

$335 9.3%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 4.2% $14

Eating Out

Monterey, CA

$320 8.8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 33.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Monterey, CA

$194 5.4%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 37.5% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Monterey, CA

$110 3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 18.2% $20

Getting Around

Monterey, CA

$67 1.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 32% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,490 in Monterey, 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 438% higher in Monterey, 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 Monterey, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in Monterey, CA vs $350 in Nosara – so Monterey, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monterey, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

18:08 6:08 PM

1 h ahead of Monterey, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,803

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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Between locations

Monterey, CA Nosara 4,690 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterey, 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

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

Yes – Monterey, CA is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,424 per month in Monterey, 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 $3,616 in Monterey, CA and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 97%.

Public transport costs about 40% 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 $1,835, than in Monterey, CA at $3,616. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monterey, 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, Monterey, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.