Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cali

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,054 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cali

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 Cali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $1,054 in Cali.

Nosara $1,837
Cali $1,054

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,614 in Cali.

Nosara $2,775
Cali $1,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $2,174 in Cali.

Nosara $3,712
Cali $2,174

Living in Nosara is roughly 74% more expensive than in Cali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Cali is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$7.26 COP 23.4K

68.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$37.04 COP 119.3K

62.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.05 COP 25.9K

-6.34%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.54 COP 4,972

179.87%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.25 COP 4,027

37.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.84 COP 2,702

60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.16 COP 10.2K

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$3.58 COP 11.5K

25.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.55 COP 4,998

1.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.87 COP 6,026

69.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.50 COP 4,822

61.33%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.77 COP 8,907

28.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$6.40 COP 20.6K

16.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.89 COP 22.2K

51.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$9.92 COP 31.9K

37.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$3.43 COP 11.0K

-32.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.30 COP 4,186

23.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$1.76 COP 5,659

169.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$1.68 COP 5,421

-1.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.47 COP 4,730

153.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.47 COP 4,722

142.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.10 COP 3,551

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.93 COP 3,004

174.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$3.63 COP 11.7K

36.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$12.56 COP 40.5K

59.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.42 COP 4,565

96.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.40 COP 7,712

47.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.05 COP 3,370

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$29.00 COP 93.4K

148.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$0.83 COP 2,664

169.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.25 COP 4,040

25.60%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$33.7K COP 108.5M

2.78%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$111 COP 358.1K

-15.97%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$12.79 COP 41.2K

174.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$29.75 COP 95.8K

73.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$28.38 COP 91.4K

151.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.24 COP 26.5K

-4.85%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$75.8 COP 243.9K

-29.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$53.8 COP 173.3K

3.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$122 COP 394.4K

-35.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$109 COP 350.7K

-27.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$638 COP 2.1M

23.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$291 COP 937.4K

167.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,498 COP 4.8M

157.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$479 COP 1.5M

193.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$567 COP 1.8M

54.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.58

-25.56%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Cali

$291 27.6% 62.7% $489

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Cali

$235 22.3% 32.7% $114

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Cali

$132 12.5% 36.9% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Cali

$154 14.6% 14.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Cali

$162 15.4% 35% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cali

$45 4.3% 48.5% $42

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Cali

$34 * 3.2% 60.8% $53

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 $786 in Nosara and $638 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 55% 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: $60.0 in Nosara vs $37.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $235 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇴 Cali

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

23:54 11:54 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

2,568,609

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, 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).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Cali 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cali

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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 55% higher in Nosara, 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: $786 in Nosara versus $638 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cali runs roughly 149% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,054 in Cali versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Cali 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 Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.