Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Glendale, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,660 in Glendale, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 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
177

Cost of Living Index in Glendale, CA
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Glendale, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Glendale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $3,660 in Glendale, CA.

Nosara $1,837
Glendale, CA $3,660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $4,572 in Glendale, CA.

Nosara $2,775
Glendale, CA $4,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $5,484 in Glendale, CA.

Nosara $3,712
Glendale, CA $5,484

Living in Nosara costs roughly 50% less than in Glendale, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Glendale, CA 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$25.31 $25.31

-51.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$77.7 $77.7

-22.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$14.98 $14.98

-49.67%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$5.99 $5.99

-28.05%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$3.13 $3.13

-45.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.33 $2.33

-42.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$7.30 $7.30

-55.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$9.95 $9.95

-54.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.40 $1.40

12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$4.68 $4.68

-32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$4.53 $4.53

-46.58%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$5.93 $5.93

-39.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$11.51 $11.51

-35.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$8.60 $8.60

21.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$19.76 $19.76

-30.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.86 $4.86

-52.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.21 $2.21

-27.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$4.09 $4.09

15.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$5.75 $5.75

-71.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.19 $3.19

16.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.94 $2.94

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.00 $2.00

-45.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$2.55 $2.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$11.58 $11.58

-57.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$14.71 $14.71

36.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.45 $2.45

13.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.67 $2.67

32.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.98 $1.98

-39.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$90.3 $90.3

-20.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.11 $3.11

-27.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.82 $1.82

-14.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$32.37 $32.37

-72.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.55 $1.55

1.29%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$36.9K $36.9K

-40.95%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$25.8K $25.8K

34.08%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$220 $220

-57.43%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$78.7 $78.7

-55.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$72.7 $72.7

-29.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$39.01 $39.01

83.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$19.61 $19.61

-60.02%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$1,159 $1,159

-57.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$32.4K $32.4K

-63.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$62.1 $62.1

-13.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$48.28 $48.28

15.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$118 $118

-32.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$196 $196

-59.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,577 $1,577

-50.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$2,051 $2,051

-61.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,514 $2,514

53.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$2,123 $2,123

-33.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,423 $2,423

187.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,235 $2,235

-46.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$5,078 $5,078

-82.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.53

32.01%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Glendale, CA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Glendale, CA

$2.1K 56.6% 163% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Glendale, CA

$423 11.7% 21.1% $74

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Glendale, CA

$398 11% 89.8% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Glendale, CA

$371 10.2% 106% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Glendale, CA

$191 5.3% 58.8% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Glendale, CA

$78 2.2% 10.2% $8.8

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Glendale, CA

$110 3.1% 27.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $1,577 in Glendale, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glendale, CA pays 480% 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 $78.0 in Glendale, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $423 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Glendale, CA

🕒 Local time

22:06 10:06 PM

21:06 9:06 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

200,831

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Glendale, CA 4,270 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 480% lower in Glendale, 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: $786 in Nosara versus $1,577 in Glendale, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 25% less than in Glendale, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $1,159 in Glendale, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $3,660 in Glendale, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Glendale, 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 Glendale, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Glendale, 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 99% less than in Glendale, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.