Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Newport Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $5,162 in Newport Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $39,900 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
251

Cost of Living Index in Newport Beach, CA
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Newport Beach, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Newport Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$5,162

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $5,162 in Newport Beach, CA, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Newport Beach, CA $5,162

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $7,336 in Newport Beach, CA, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Newport Beach, CA $7,336

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $9,509 in Newport Beach, CA, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Newport Beach, CA $9,509

Nosara is about 64% cheaper than Newport Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Newport Beach, CA sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Newport Beach, CA by 282%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$25.34 $25.34

-51.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$101 $101

-39.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$14.86 $14.86

-49.39%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.79 $5.79

-23.83%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.04 $3.04

-42.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.45 $2.45

-46.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.06 $7.06

-53.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$9.44 $9.44

-52.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.22 $1.22

27.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$5.74 $5.74

-47.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.22 $4.22

-40.52%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$5.27 $5.27

-32.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.68 $12.68

-41.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$9.04 $9.04

16.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$14.16 $14.16

-1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.81 $4.81

-51.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.72 $1.72

-6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.08 $4.08

17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.45 $5.45

-70.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.65 $3.65

4.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$3.07 $3.07

20.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.14 $2.14

-47.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$2.26 $2.26

17.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.59 $11.59

-55.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$15.11 $15.11

31.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.76 $1.76

64.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.10 $3.10

17.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$4.56 $4.56

-53.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.85 $1.85

-15.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$36.59 $36.59

-76.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.47 $1.47

3.40%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.2K $37.2K

-41.85%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.1K $26.1K

32.21%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$216 $216

-55.45%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$80.0 $80.0

-55.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$71.3 $71.3

-24.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$116 $116

-38.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$27.65 $27.65

26.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$20.16 $20.16

-60.86%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,756 $1,756

-71.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$36.2K $36.2K

-67.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$62.7 $62.7

-13.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$41.05 $41.05

34.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$78.4 $78.4

-0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$102 $102

-22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$4,355 $4,355

-81.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$3,694 $3,694

-78.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$7,177 $7,177

-45.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$6,170 $6,170

-77.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$16.0K $16.0K

-56.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$16.0K $16.0K

-92.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$6,204 $6,204

-86.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.45

33.64%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Newport Beach, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Newport Beach, CA

$3.7K 71.6% 365% $2.9K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Newport Beach, CA

$409 7.9% 16.2% $57

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Newport Beach, CA

$393 7.6% 85.5% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Newport Beach, CA

$367 7.1% 97.8% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Newport Beach, CA

$128 2.5% 6.6% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Newport Beach, CA

$157 3% 79.3% $69

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Newport Beach, CA

$14 * 0.3% 84.2% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $4,355 in Newport Beach, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 618% higher in Newport Beach, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $101 in Newport Beach, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $409 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Newport Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

08:43 8:43 AM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

85,186

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Newport Beach, CA 4,210 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Newport Beach, 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 Newport Beach, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Newport Beach, CA is pricier by about 181%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $7,743 in Newport Beach, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $5,162 in Newport Beach, CA. That's a gap of about 181%.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $1,756 in Newport Beach, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Newport Beach, CA at $5,162. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newport Beach, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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