Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Cathedral City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Cathedral City, CA
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Cathedral City, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Cathedral City, CA

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 Cathedral City, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA.

Nosara $1,835
Cathedral City, CA $2,593

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $3,761 in Cathedral City, CA.

Nosara $2,825
Cathedral City, CA $3,761

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $4,929 in Cathedral City, CA.

Nosara $3,814
Cathedral City, CA $4,929

Living in Nosara costs roughly 29% less than in Cathedral City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Cathedral City, CA 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$18.94 $18.94

-34.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$74.2 $74.2

-17.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.12 $11.12

-30.22%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.94 $4.94

-10.12%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.62 $2.62

-31.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.95 $1.95

-33.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$6.02 $6.02

-46.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$7.09 $7.09

-37.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.01 $1.01

53.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.43 $3.43

-10.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.41 $4.41

-42.63%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$4.12 $4.12

-16.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$12.05 $12.05

-39.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$11.62 $11.62

-11.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$15.70 $15.70

-10.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.01 $5.01

-54.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.63 $1.63

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.13 $4.13

15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.57 $4.57

-64.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.79 $2.79

37.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.75 $2.75

36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.03 $2.03

-46.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.18 $2.18

18.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$9.33 $9.33

-45.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$13.89 $13.89

43.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.83 $1.83

53.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.33 $3.33

5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.98 $1.98

-38.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.42 $3.42

-36.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.58 $1.58

-1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$29.37 $29.37

-70.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.89 $0.89

74.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$29.3K $29.3K

17.74%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$25.1K $25.1K

54.24%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$186 $186

-49.09%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$53.1 $53.1

-31.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$68.3 $68.3

-22.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$42.44 $42.44

73.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$13.60 $13.60

-41.84%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,315 $1,315

-62.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$23.3K $23.3K

-48.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$50.4 $50.4

8.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$39.39 $39.39

41.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$85.8 $85.8

-6.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$113 $113

-31.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,592 $1,592

-49.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,374 $1,374

-42.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,622 $2,622

52.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,223 $2,223

-36.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,814 $2,814

151.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,417 $2,417

-48.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.51

32.41%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cathedral City, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Cathedral City, CA

$1.4K 53% 74% $584

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Cathedral City, CA

$386 14.9% 10.3% $36

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Cathedral City, CA

$307 11.8% 44.2% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Cathedral City, CA

$308 11.9% 67.2% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Cathedral City, CA

$130 5% 7.4% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Cathedral City, CA

$70 2.7% 22.3% $20

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Cathedral City, CA

$19 * 0.7% 78.3% $70

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 $801 in Nosara and $1,592 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $74.0 in Cathedral City, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $386 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Cathedral City, CA

🕒 Local time

14:24 2:24 PM

13:24 1:24 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

51,493

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Cathedral City, CA 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Cathedral City, CA

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 Cathedral City, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Cathedral City, CA differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,835 vs $2,593 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $3,889 in Cathedral City, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $1,592 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $1,315 in Cathedral City, CA. 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 $74.0 in Cathedral City, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,593 in Cathedral City, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Cathedral City, 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, Nosara and Cathedral City, CA 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 41% less than in Cathedral City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.