Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and San Francisco

For one person, living is cheaper in San Francisco: $1,683 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
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San Francisco Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in San Francisco

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 San Francisco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,844 per month in Nosara vs $1,683 in San Francisco, rent included.

Nosara $1,844
San Francisco $1,683

A couple spends around $2,817 per month in Nosara vs $2,673 in San Francisco, rent included.

Nosara $2,817
San Francisco $2,673

A family of three spends $3,790 per month in Nosara vs $3,662 in San Francisco, rent included.

Nosara $3,790
San Francisco $3,662

Nosara costs about 10% more than San Francisco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and San Francisco sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, San Francisco by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,569

$9.66 ₡4,345

28.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.3K

$61.6 ₡27.7K

-1.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$10.85 ₡4,878

-28.02%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$4.48 ₡2,015

-2.46%

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

$1.78 ₡801

$1.36 ₡611

30.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.77 ₡798

-23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$3.21 ₡1,441

5.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,940

$4.35 ₡1,958

-0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$2.39 ₡1,077

-35.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,426

$3.08 ₡1,386

2.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,131

$2.54 ₡1,142

-1.18%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.53 ₡1,586

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,314

$10.89 ₡4,898

-32.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,704

$10.32 ₡4,641

1.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,256

$13.81 ₡6,211

0.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$5.21 ₡2,344

-56.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.63 ₡735

-4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$4.80 ₡2,159

-2.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$3.95 ₡1,775

-58.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,747

$3.88 ₡1,745

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$3.60 ₡1,621

5.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$1.11 ₡500

-3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$3.21 ₡1,444

-18.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$5.78 ₡2,601

-10.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,144

$19.70 ₡8,857

3.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$2.78 ₡1,251

4.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$3.71 ₡1,668

-1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.34 ₡603

-2.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$65.3 ₡29.4K

12.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$1.71 ₡769

28.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.78 ₡800

3.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,514

$8.21 ₡3,693

-4.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.56 ₡704

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$34.6K ₡15.5M

-3.30%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$41.3K ₡18.6M

-7.83%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$77.3 ₡34.8K

23.95%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$33.59 ₡15.1K

5.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$58.2 ₡26.2K

-7.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$67.9 ₡30.6K

-0.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$7.91 ₡3,556

-2.40%

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

$496 ₡222.9K

$970 ₡436.2K

-48.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$18.8K ₡8.5M

-36.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$72.1 ₡32.4K

-24.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$56.6 ₡25.4K

-2.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$65.3 ₡29.4K

22.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$55.3 ₡24.9K

40.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$809 ₡364.0K

0.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.8K

$634 ₡285.0K

26.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$1,934 ₡869.5K

101.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.7K

$1,263 ₡568.0K

10.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.4K

$890 ₡400.0K

-1.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Last update for San Francisco: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

San Francisco

$634 37.6% 20.8% $166

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

San Francisco

$402 23.9% 14.1% $50

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

San Francisco

$201 11.9% 5.7% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

San Francisco

$169 10.1% 8.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

San Francisco

$112 6.7% 6.7% $8.1

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

San Francisco

$81 4.8% 9.6% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

San Francisco

$84 5% 1% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $809 in San Francisco. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $62 in San Francisco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $402 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

55,923

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 San Francisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,844 in Nosara, $1,683 in San Francisco – San Francisco comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,765 per month in Nosara and $2,525 in San Francisco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $817 in Nosara and $809 in San Francisco. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 11% less in San Francisco. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,683 in San Francisco to $1,844 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.