Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Monterey Park, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
140

Cost of Living Index in Monterey Park, CA
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Monterey Park, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA.

Nosara $1,839
Monterey Park, CA $2,866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $4,218 in Monterey Park, CA.

Nosara $2,828
Monterey Park, CA $4,218

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $5,570 in Monterey Park, CA.

Nosara $3,818
Monterey Park, CA $5,570

Living in Nosara costs roughly 36% less than in Monterey Park, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Monterey Park, CA 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$26.69 $26.69

-53.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$80.4 $80.4

-23.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$15.07 $15.07

-50.10%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.89 $5.89

-25.13%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.14 $3.14

-44.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.76 $2.76

-52.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$8.17 $8.17

-59.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$10.19 $10.19

-56.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.33 $1.33

17.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$4.94 $4.94

-38.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.60 $4.60

-45.43%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$5.74 $5.74

-37.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$11.29 $11.29

-34.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$8.63 $8.63

21.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$19.40 $19.40

-27.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.65 $4.65

-49.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.32 $2.32

-30.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.12 $4.12

16.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.60 $5.60

-71.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.41 $3.41

11.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.93 $2.93

25.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.95 $1.95

-42.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.44 $2.44

9.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.56 $11.56

-55.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.98 $14.98

32.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$2.51 $2.51

15.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.71 $2.71

33.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.99 $1.99

-43.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.08 $3.08

-30.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.81 $1.81

-13.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$32.31 $32.31

-73.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.57 $1.57

-3.18%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.4K $37.4K

-42.28%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.5K $25.5K

35.30%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$272 $272

-64.58%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$85.8 $85.8

-58.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$81.4 $81.4

-34.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$47.47 $47.47

50.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$19.40 $19.40

-59.33%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,175 $1,175

-57.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$31.7K $31.7K

-62.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$63.8 $63.8

-15.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$55.6 $55.6

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$117 $117

-33.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$211 $211

-62.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,565 $1,565

-49.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,283 $1,283

-38.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,549 $2,549

54.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,171 $2,171

-34.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,733 $2,733

152.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$2,066 $2,066

-40.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$1,575 $1,575

-45.18%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Monterey Park, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Monterey Park, CA

$1.3K 44.8% 61.6% $489

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Monterey Park, CA

$422 14.7% 19.8% $70

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Monterey Park, CA

$414 14.5% 95.6% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Monterey Park, CA

$439 15.3% 136% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Monterey Park, CA

$201 7% 67.7% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Monterey Park, CA

$86 3% 1.3% $1.1

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Monterey Park, CA

$20 * 0.7% 77% $67

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 $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterey Park, CA pays 82% 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 $80.0 in Monterey Park, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $422 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Monterey Park, CA

🕒 Local time

19:07 7:07 PM

18:07 6:07 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

60,269

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Monterey Park, CA 4,250 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Monterey Park, 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 Monterey Park, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Monterey Park, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 82% lower in Monterey Park, 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 $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Monterey Park, CA. 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 $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,866 in Monterey Park, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Monterey Park, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Monterey Park, 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 56% less than in Monterey Park, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.