Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Dana Point, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $4,372 in Dana Point, CA, rent and utilities included – about $30,400 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
211

Cost of Living Index in Dana Point, CA
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Dana Point, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Dana Point, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $4,372 in Dana Point, CA, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Dana Point, CA $4,372

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $5,964 in Dana Point, CA, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Dana Point, CA $5,964

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $7,557 in Dana Point, CA, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Dana Point, CA $7,557

Nosara is about 58% cheaper than Dana Point, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Dana Point, CA sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Dana Point, CA by 223%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$25.21 $25.21

-51.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$101 $101

-39.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$14.52 $14.52

-46.56%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$6.04 $6.04

-26.49%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$3.68 $3.68

-51.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.65 $2.65

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$7.90 $7.90

-58.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$9.97 $9.97

-55.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.28 $1.28

21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$4.83 $4.83

-36.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.71 $4.71

-46.28%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.97 $3.97

-13.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$11.26 $11.26

-34.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$13.49 $13.49

-24.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$15.71 $15.71

-10.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.02 $5.02

-54.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.21 $2.21

-25.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$3.51 $3.51

36.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$5.34 $5.34

-69.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.91 $2.91

32.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.78 $2.78

34.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.99 $1.99

-45.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.44 $2.44

6.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$11.99 $11.99

-57.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$15.27 $15.27

30.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$3.02 $3.02

-7.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.78 $2.78

26.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.02 $2.02

-39.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.16 $3.16

-31.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.90 $1.90

-17.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$32.63 $32.63

-73.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.28 $1.28

21.09%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.8K $32.8K

5.28%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$26.3K $26.3K

47.10%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$255 $255

-62.80%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$77.4 $77.4

-53.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$78.5 $78.5

-32.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$41.94 $41.94

75.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$20.15 $20.15

76.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$19.64 $19.64

-59.73%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,690 $1,690

-70.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$32.3K $32.3K

-63.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$65.4 $65.4

-16.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$52.2 $52.2

7.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$113 $113

-29.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$177 $177

-56.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$2,986 $2,986

-73.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$2,847 $2,847

-72.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$5,264 $5,264

-23.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$4,148 $4,148

-66.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,686 $2,686

162.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,351 $2,351

-47.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$7,504 $7,504

-88.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.56

31.40%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Dana Point, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Dana Point, CA

$2.8K 65.1% 261% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Dana Point, CA

$426 9.8% 21.9% $76

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Dana Point, CA

$402 9.2% 89.2% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Dana Point, CA

$411 9.4% 123% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Dana Point, CA

$184 4.2% 51.8% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Dana Point, CA

$81 1.9% 9.4% $8.4

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Dana Point, CA

$21 * 0.5% 76.7% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $2,986 in Dana Point, CA. 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 746% higher in Dana Point, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $101 in Dana Point, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $426 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Dana Point, CA

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

01:02 1:02 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

33,351

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Dana Point, CA 4,180 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Dana Point, 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 Dana Point, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dana Point, CA is pricier by about 138%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $6,557 in Dana Point, CA. 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 $1,835 in Nosara and $4,372 in Dana Point, CA. That's a gap of about 138%.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $1,690 in Dana Point, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Dana Point, CA at $4,372. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dana Point, 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, Dana Point, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.