Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Highland, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,680 in Highland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Highland, CA
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Highland, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Highland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,680

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,680 in Highland, CA, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Highland, CA $2,680

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $4,015 in Highland, CA, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Highland, CA $4,015

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $5,349 in Highland, CA, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Highland, CA $5,349

Nosara is about 32% cheaper than Highland, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Highland, CA sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Highland, CA by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$25.04 $25.04

-50.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$78.1 $78.1

-21.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$15.14 $15.14

-48.75%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.65 $5.65

-21.42%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$3.08 $3.08

-41.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.45 $2.45

-47.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$7.19 $7.19

-54.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$10.03 $10.03

-55.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.34 $1.34

15.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$4.69 $4.69

-34.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.55 $4.55

-44.40%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$5.29 $5.29

-34.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$11.57 $11.57

-36.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$9.05 $9.05

13.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$19.55 $19.55

-27.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.71 $4.71

-51.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.23 $2.23

-26.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.02 $4.02

19.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$5.45 $5.45

-69.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.40 $3.40

13.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.91 $2.91

28.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.94 $1.94

-43.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.49 $2.49

4.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$11.72 $11.72

-56.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$14.79 $14.79

34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.49 $2.49

12.45%

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

$29.83 $29.83

147.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.05 $3.05

-28.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.89 $1.89

-17.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$31.72 $31.72

-72.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.56 $1.56

-0.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.4K $28.4K

21.66%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$26.3K $26.3K

47.61%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$221 $221

-57.14%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$77.6 $77.6

-53.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$78.7 $78.7

-32.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$40.95 $40.95

80.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$18.20 $18.20

-56.54%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,162 $1,162

-57.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$31.8K $31.8K

-62.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$62.8 $62.8

-12.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$47.18 $47.18

18.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$107 $107

-24.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$104 $104

-25.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,489 $1,489

-46.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,219 $1,219

-35.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,331 $2,331

71.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,167 $2,167

-34.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$3,106 $3,106

127.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,390 $2,390

-48.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.31

36.61%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Highland, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Highland, CA

$1.2K 45.5% 54.4% $430

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Highland, CA

$420 15.7% 20.1% $70

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Highland, CA

$392 14.6% 84.2% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Highland, CA

$377 14.1% 105% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Highland, CA

$144 5.4% 19.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Highland, CA

$77 2.9% 13.7% $12

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Highland, CA

$50 1.9% 43.2% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,489 in Highland, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $78.0 in Highland, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $420 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Highland, CA

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

10:46 10:46 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

51,550

💱 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 Highland, CA 4,180 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $2,680 in Highland, CA – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $4,021 in Highland, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $78.0 in Highland, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,835 in Nosara and $2,680 in Highland, CA. That's a gap of about 46%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Highland, CA at $2,680. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highland, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,835 in Nosara to $2,680 in Highland, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Highland, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.