Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: $1,661 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,661 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $1,661

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,454 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $2,454

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,248 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur $3,248

Nosara costs about 11% more than Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$10.31 MX$189

18.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$50.6 MX$929

19.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$10.14 MX$186

-25.64%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.53 MX$64.8

22.10%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.49 MX$27.43

15.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.99 MX$18.15

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$2.51 MX$46.03

29.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$4.47 MX$82.0

0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.77 MX$32.49

-11.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$3.18 MX$58.3

-0.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.56 MX$47.04

-5.47%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.35 MX$43.21

51.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$11.62 MX$213

-36.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$10.11 MX$186

3.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$13.70 MX$252

-0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$2.73 MX$50.1

-15.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.55 MX$28.40

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.59 MX$29.24

198.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.73 MX$31.81

-4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.26 MX$23.09

195.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.85 MX$33.89

92.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.77 MX$50.9

-60.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.27 MX$23.38

100.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$5.06 MX$92.9

-2.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.19 MX$205

78.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.49 MX$27.37

87.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.53 MX$64.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.87 MX$15.98

36.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$53.2 MX$976

35.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$4.37 MX$80.2

-48.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$3.06 MX$56.1

-49.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$10.59 MX$194

-16.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.46 MX$26.78

7.53%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$21.5K MX$394.1K

1.59%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$24.4K MX$448.0K

41.94%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$86.9 MX$1,595

7.60%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$25.56 MX$469

37.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$32.06 MX$589

60.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$45.89 MX$843

55.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$30.59 MX$562

15.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$4.24 MX$77.8

84.91%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$231 MX$4,246

111.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$8,373 MX$153.7K

41.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$72.7 MX$1,335

-26.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$53.3 MX$979

4.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$97.2 MX$1,785

-18.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$67.5 MX$1,240

16.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,197 MX$22.0K

-34.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$758 MX$13.9K

2.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,543 MX$46.7K

51.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,215 MX$22.3K

15.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$3,814 MX$70.0K

82.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,196 MX$40.3K

-45.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$756 MX$13.9K

15.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.6

-25.69%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$758 45.8% 2.7% $21

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$304 18.4% 12.9% $45

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$187 11.3% 10.9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$144 8.7% 19.8% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$131 7.9% 8.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$54 3.3% 37.6% $33

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

$76 4.6% 12.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,197 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. 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 16% higher in Nosara, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $51.0 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $304 – making Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇽 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

23:56 11:56 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

202,694

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

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

Nosara vs Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,491 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $231 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,661, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur – 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 Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.