Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Los Cabos

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Cabos: $1,371 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Los Cabos
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Los Cabos Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Los Cabos

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Los Cabos

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 Los Cabos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $1,371 in Los Cabos.

Nosara $1,839
Los Cabos $1,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $2,211 in Los Cabos.

Nosara $2,828
Los Cabos $2,211

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $3,051 in Los Cabos.

Nosara $3,818
Los Cabos $3,051

Living in Nosara is roughly 34% more expensive than in Los Cabos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Los Cabos 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$22.30 MX$412

-44.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$43.70 MX$807

40.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$13.76 MX$254

-45.35%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.22 MX$96.5

-15.52%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.30 MX$42.51

-24.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.06 MX$38.06

-36.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.99 MX$92.2

-34.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$8.36 MX$154

-46.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.65 MX$30.46

-5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.86 MX$52.8

5.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.38 MX$44.07

5.46%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.41 MX$44.49

48.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$8.96 MX$166

-17.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.56 MX$177

10.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$17.76 MX$328

-21.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.13 MX$76.4

-43.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.78 MX$32.89

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.93 MX$54.2

63.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.53 MX$46.70

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.34 MX$43.16

62.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.53 MX$46.73

45.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.24 MX$22.99

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.86 MX$15.94

209.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$4.52 MX$83.6

14.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$10.32 MX$191

92.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.61 MX$29.70

80.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.13 MX$57.8

15.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.41 MX$25.98

-20.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$2.66 MX$49.20

-19.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.93 MX$35.59

-18.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$11.63 MX$215

-26.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.38 MX$25.43

10.14%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.0K MX$388.2K

2.87%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$24.3K MX$449.9K

41.77%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$58.6 MX$1,083

64.35%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$27.70 MX$512

29.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$24.59 MX$454

117.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$34.48 MX$637

107.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$20.05 MX$371

74.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$4.28 MX$79.1

84.35%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$215 MX$3,971

129.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$4,652 MX$86.0K

154.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$93.3 MX$1,724

-42.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$40.63 MX$751

36.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$124 MX$2,298

-37.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$89.7 MX$1,657

-11.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$612 MX$11.3K

28.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$391 MX$7,226

103.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$1,044 MX$19.3K

277.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$781 MX$14.4K

81.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,933 MX$35.7K

257.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,131 MX$20.9K

8.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$811 MX$15.0K

6.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.3

-23.72%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Los Cabos

$391 28.5% 50.8% $403

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Los Cabos

$310 22.6% 11.9% $42

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Los Cabos

$341 24.9% 61.2% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Los Cabos

$111 8.1% 40.3% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Los Cabos

$157 11.4% 30.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Los Cabos

$43 3.1% 50.7% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Los Cabos

$18 * 1.3% 79.4% $69

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 $788 in Nosara and $612 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 7% 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 $44.00 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $310 per month, with Los Cabos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇲🇽 Los Cabos

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

08:55 8:55 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

202,694

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Los Cabos 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Los Cabos

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 Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Cabos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $788 in Nosara versus $612 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $1,371 in Los Cabos – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,371 in Los Cabos versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Nosara and Los Cabos 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 Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.