Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Pomona, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,738 in Pomona, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Pomona, CA
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Pomona, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Pomona, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $2,738 in Pomona, CA, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Pomona, CA $2,738

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $4,227 in Pomona, CA, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Pomona, CA $4,227

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $5,717 in Pomona, CA, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Pomona, CA $5,717

Nosara is about 33% cheaper than Pomona, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Pomona, CA sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Pomona, CA by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$27.14 $27.14

-54.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$74.5 $74.5

-17.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$9.91 $9.91

-24.12%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$5.57 $5.57

-20.83%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.72 $1.72

1.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.22 $1.22

7.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$5.07 $5.07

-35.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$5.71 $5.71

-21.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.34 $1.34

16.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$3.99 $3.99

-24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.87 $2.87

-12.54%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.08 $3.08

15.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$13.92 $13.92

-46.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$13.26 $13.26

-20.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$12.37 $12.37

12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.40 $3.40

-30.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.34 $1.34

20.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.25 $2.25

113.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.13 $2.13

-24.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.78 $1.78

113.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.73 $1.73

113.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.17 $1.17

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.70 $1.70

56.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.11 $11.11

-53.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$13.42 $13.42

48.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.60 $1.60

81.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.69 $2.69

34.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$2.33 $2.33

-51.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$18.89 $18.89

284.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$3.40 $3.40

-37.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.84 $1.84

-14.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$23.63 $23.63

-63.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.37 $1.37

10.95%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.8K $29.8K

-27.40%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.5K $25.5K

35.45%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$243 $243

-60.34%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$59.8 $59.8

-40.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$48.83 $48.83

9.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$20.04 $20.04

257.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$40.69 $40.69

-14.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$11.91 $11.91

-33.75%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$544 $544

-9.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$8,403 $8,403

41.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$30.96 $30.96

74.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$34.25 $34.25

61.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.8 $71.8

8.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$90.9 $90.9

-12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$1,925 $1,925

-59.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$1,496 $1,496

-46.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$3,439 $3,439

14.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$2,959 $2,959

-52.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$19.1K $19.1K

-63.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$4,544 $4,544

-73.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$3,693 $3,693

-76.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.5

32.62%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pomona, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Pomona, CA

$1.5K 54.6% 88.3% $701

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Pomona, CA

$341 12.5% 3.2% $11

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Pomona, CA

$362 13.2% 71% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Pomona, CA

$351 12.8% 89.2% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Pomona, CA

$103 3.8% 14.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Pomona, CA

$44 1.6% 49.8% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Pomona, CA

$41 1.5% 53.2% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $1,925 in Pomona, 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 328% higher in Pomona, 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 $75.0 in Pomona, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $341 in Pomona, CA – so Pomona, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Pomona, CA

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

20:25 8:25 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

154,271

💱 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 Pomona, CA 4,220 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $2,738 in Pomona, CA – roughly 49% 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 $4,106 in Pomona, 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 285% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $544 in Pomona, 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 Pomona, CA at $2,738. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pomona, 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 $2,738 in Pomona, 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, Pomona, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.