Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ontario, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,867 in Ontario, 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Ontario, CA
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Ontario, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,867 in Ontario, CA, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Ontario, CA $2,867

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,937 in Ontario, CA, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Ontario, CA $2,937

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $3,007 in Ontario, CA, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Ontario, CA $3,007

Nosara is about 36% cheaper than Ontario, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Ontario, CA sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Ontario, CA by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$19.91 $19.91

-37.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$78.2 $78.2

-21.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$15.13 $15.13

-50.30%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.64 $5.64

-21.81%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$3.09 $3.09

-43.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.31 $2.31

-43.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.26 $7.26

-54.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$9.37 $9.37

-52.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.04 $1.04

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$4.00 $4.00

-24.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$4.79 $4.79

-47.60%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.57 $4.57

-21.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$12.97 $12.97

-42.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$8.85 $8.85

18.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$15.66 $15.66

-10.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$4.62 $4.62

-49.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.70 $1.70

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.97 $3.97

20.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$5.54 $5.54

-70.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$3.59 $3.59

5.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.31 $2.31

59.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.98 $1.98

-42.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.92 $1.92

38.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.56 $11.56

-55.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$14.76 $14.76

34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.94 $1.94

49.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$4.13 $4.13

-12.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.54 $1.54

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$29.84 $29.84

143.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$6.08 $6.08

-64.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.53 $1.53

-0.65%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$37.1K $37.1K

-41.70%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$26.9K $26.9K

28.28%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$222 $222

-56.55%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$68.7 $68.7

-47.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$61.8 $61.8

-13.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$64.0 $64.0

11.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$28.79 $28.79

21.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$17.89 $17.89

-55.90%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$1,164 $1,164

-57.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$58.3 $58.3

-7.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$40.76 $40.76

35.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$91.3 $91.3

-14.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$104 $104

-23.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,900 $1,900

-58.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,503 $1,503

-47.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$2,646 $2,646

48.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$3,989 $3,989

73.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$3,666 $3,666

-66.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,613 $3,613

-76.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.39

34.90%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ontario, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Ontario, CA

$1.5K 52.4% 89.2% $708

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Ontario, CA

$389 13.6% 10.3% $36

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Ontario, CA

$349 12.2% 64.8% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Ontario, CA

$352 12.3% 89.6% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Ontario, CA

$133 4.6% 10.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ontario, CA

$100 3.5% 14.2% $12

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Ontario, CA

$42 * 1.5% 51.7% $45

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 $1,900 in Ontario, 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 318% higher in Ontario, 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 $78.0 in Ontario, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $389 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Ontario, CA

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

14:56 2:56 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

185,000

💱 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 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 = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Nosara Ontario, CA 4,220 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,867 in Ontario, CA – roughly 56% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $4,300 in Ontario, 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.

Public transport costs about 143% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $1,164 in Ontario, 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 Ontario, CA at $2,867. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ontario, 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $2,867 in Ontario, 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, Ontario, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.