Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Merced, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,528 in Merced, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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 Merced, CA
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Merced, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Merced, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,528 in Merced, CA.

Nosara $1,839
Merced, CA $2,528

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $3,698 in Merced, CA.

Nosara $2,828
Merced, CA $3,698

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $4,868 in Merced, CA.

Nosara $3,818
Merced, CA $4,868

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Merced, CA 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$17.30 $17.30

-28.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$39.53 $39.53

54.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$12.13 $12.13

-38.00%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.67 $5.67

-22.22%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.47 $2.47

-29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.47 $1.47

-10.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$9.15 $9.15

-64.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$10.14 $10.14

-55.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.24 $1.24

25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$4.33 $4.33

-30.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.18 $4.18

-39.95%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$5.69 $5.69

-37.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$19.30 $19.30

-61.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$14.22 $14.22

-26.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$21.62 $21.62

-35.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.45 $4.45

-47.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.03 $2.03

-20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$5.41 $5.41

-11.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.36 $5.36

-69.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.49 $3.49

8.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.96 $2.96

24.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.44 $2.44

-53.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.57 $2.57

3.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.89 $11.89

-56.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.78 $15.78

25.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.42 $2.42

19.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.41 $3.41

6.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.49 $1.49

-24.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$59.9 $59.9

21.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.05 $3.05

-29.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.66 $1.66

-5.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$26.51 $26.51

-67.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.32 $1.32

15.15%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.3K $37.3K

-42.00%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.8K $25.8K

33.96%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$237 $237

-59.45%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$29.93 $29.93

19.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$82.7 $82.7

-35.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$32.75 $32.75

118.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$14.11 $14.11

147.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$16.87 $16.87

-53.23%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,851 $1,851

-73.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$40.5K $40.5K

-70.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$59.9 $59.9

-9.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$50.7 $50.7

9.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$100.0 $100.0

-22.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$120 $120

-33.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,638 $1,638

-51.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,082 $1,082

-26.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,012 $2,012

95.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$1,905 $1,905

-25.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,890 $2,890

139.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,896 $2,896

-57.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,329 $3,329

-74.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.36

35.53%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Merced, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Merced, CA

$1.1K 42.8% 36.2% $288

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Merced, CA

$479 19% 36.1% $127

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Merced, CA

$325 12.8% 53.3% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Merced, CA

$350 13.9% 88.5% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Merced, CA

$149 5.9% 23.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Merced, CA

$66 2.6% 23.9% $21

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Merced, CA

$77 3.1% 11.4% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nosara and $1,638 in Merced, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Merced, CA pays 285% 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 $40.00 in Merced, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $352 vs $479, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Merced, CA

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

83,316

💱 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 = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Merced, CA 4,620 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Nosara and Merced, CA differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,839 vs $2,528 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 285% lower in Merced, 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 $1,638 in Merced, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Nosara versus $1,851 in Merced, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Merced, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,528 in Merced, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Merced, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Merced, 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 38% less than in Merced, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.