Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and San Luis Obispo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,487 in San Luis Obispo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in San Luis Obispo, CA
Learn more

San Luis Obispo, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

San Luis Obispo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,487

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $3,487 in San Luis Obispo, CA, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
San Luis Obispo, CA $3,487

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $5,130 in San Luis Obispo, CA, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
San Luis Obispo, CA $5,130

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $6,774 in San Luis Obispo, CA, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
San Luis Obispo, CA $6,774

Nosara is about 47% cheaper than San Luis Obispo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and San Luis Obispo, CA sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, San Luis Obispo, CA by 158%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$24.03 $24.03

-48.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$58.9 $58.9

3.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$13.25 $13.25

-43.25%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$6.26 $6.26

-29.55%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$2.90 $2.90

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$2.48 $2.48

-47.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$7.97 $7.97

-58.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$7.88 $7.88

-43.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.12 $1.12

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$4.30 $4.30

-29.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$5.54 $5.54

-54.69%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$4.72 $4.72

-24.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$15.24 $15.24

-51.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$8.70 $8.70

20.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$15.43 $15.43

-9.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.81 $3.81

-38.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.99 $1.99

-19.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$3.30 $3.30

45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$3.37 $3.37

-52.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.79 $2.79

36.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$2.78 $2.78

32.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.16 $2.16

-47.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.94 $1.94

37.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$11.55 $11.55

-55.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$16.97 $16.97

17.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.83 $1.83

58.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.13 $3.13

15.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.93 $1.93

-41.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$60.1 $60.1

20.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$6.37 $6.37

-66.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$2.74 $2.74

-42.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$37.64 $37.64

-77.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.45 $1.45

4.83%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.7K $36.7K

-41.19%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.3K $25.3K

36.29%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$249 $249

-61.27%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$53.9 $53.9

-33.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$69.6 $69.6

-22.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$42.89 $42.89

66.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$50.6 $50.6

-30.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$12.47 $12.47

-36.73%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$2,345 $2,345

-78.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$34.6K $34.6K

-65.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$67.4 $67.4

-19.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$49.73 $49.73

11.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$107 $107

-27.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$98.5 $98.5

-19.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$2,635 $2,635

-70.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$2,042 $2,042

-61.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$4,972 $4,972

-20.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$3,709 $3,709

-61.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$7,383 $7,383

-6.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$6,795 $6,795

-81.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$5,553 $5,553

-84.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.26

37.70%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Luis Obispo, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$2K 58.6% 157% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$387 11.1% 9.9% $35

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$384 11% 81.3% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$372 10.7% 100% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$145 4.2% 21% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$68 2% 22.4% $20

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$88 2.5% 0.9% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $2,635 in San Luis Obispo, 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 543% higher in San Luis Obispo, 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 $59.0 in San Luis Obispo, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Nosara vs $387 in San Luis Obispo, CA – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 San Luis Obispo, CA

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

21:59 9:59 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

47,339

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara San Luis Obispo, CA 4,520 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
San Luis Obispo, 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 San Luis Obispo, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $3,487 in San Luis Obispo, CA – roughly 90% 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 $5,230 in San Luis Obispo, 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 21% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $2,345 in San Luis Obispo, 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 San Luis Obispo, CA at $3,487. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Luis Obispo, 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 $3,487 in San Luis Obispo, 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, San Luis Obispo, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.