Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chico, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,515 in Chico, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Chico, CA
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Chico, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Chico, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,515 in Chico, CA.

Nosara $1,839
Chico, CA $2,515

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $4,036 in Chico, CA.

Nosara $2,828
Chico, CA $4,036

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $5,556 in Chico, CA.

Nosara $3,818
Chico, CA $5,556

Living in Nosara costs roughly 27% less than in Chico, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Chico, CA 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$25.46 $25.46

-51.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$50.1 $50.1

22.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$12.05 $12.05

-37.59%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.77 $5.77

-23.57%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.63 $2.63

-33.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.27 $2.27

-42.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.34 $7.34

-55.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$8.22 $8.22

-45.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.13 $1.13

38.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.99 $2.99

1.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$3.51 $3.51

-28.49%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.86 $4.86

-26.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.12 $11.12

-33.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$12.12 $12.12

-13.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$23.12 $23.12

-39.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$5.43 $5.43

-56.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.35 $2.35

-31.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.81 $3.81

25.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.64 $5.64

-71.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$5.01 $5.01

-24.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.10 $3.10

19.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.46 $2.46

-54.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.56 $2.56

3.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$8.01 $8.01

-35.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.92 $14.92

33.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.75 $1.75

65.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.62 $3.62

0.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.94 $2.94

-61.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$34.74 $34.74

109.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.22 $3.22

-33.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.41 $2.41

-34.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$40.65 $40.65

-79.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.42 $1.42

7.04%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.3K $36.3K

-40.47%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.7K $24.7K

39.58%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$185 $185

-47.89%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$49.40 $49.40

-27.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$67.9 $67.9

-21.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$77.0 $77.0

-7.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$13.12 $13.12

-39.86%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,837 $1,837

-73.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$37.1K $37.1K

-68.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$51.1 $51.1

5.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$31.08 $31.08

78.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$70.3 $70.3

10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$98.8 $98.8

-19.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,508 $1,508

-47.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,123 $1,123

-29.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,933 $2,933

34.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,590 $2,590

-45.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,210 $3,210

115.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,919 $2,919

-58.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,832 $3,832

-77.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.28

37.26%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chico, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Chico, CA

$1.1K 44.6% 41.4% $329

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Chico, CA

$430 17.1% 22.2% $78

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Chico, CA

$382 15.2% 80.3% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Chico, CA

$302 12% 62.6% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Chico, CA

$113 4.5% 5.8% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Chico, CA

$103 4.1% 18.2% $16

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Chico, CA

$62 2.5% 29.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,508 in Chico, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chico, CA pays 344% 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: $61.0 in Nosara vs $50.0 in Chico, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $430, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Chico, CA

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

00:35 12:35 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

90,316

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Chico, CA 4,870 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Chico, 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 Chico, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 344% lower in Chico, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $1,508 in Chico, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $50.0 in Chico, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $2,515 in Chico, CA – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,515 in Chico, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Chico, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Nosara and Chico, 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 37% less than in Chico, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.