Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and San Rafael, Costa Rica

For one person, living is cheaper in San Rafael: $1,718 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
83

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

San Rafael

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,844 per month in Nosara vs $1,718 in San Rafael, rent included.

Nosara $1,844
San Rafael $1,718

A couple spends around $2,817 per month in Nosara vs $2,741 in San Rafael, rent included.

Nosara $2,817
San Rafael $2,741

A family of three spends $3,790 per month in Nosara vs $3,765 in San Rafael, rent included.

Nosara $3,790
San Rafael $3,765

Nosara costs about 7% more than San Rafael, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and San Rafael sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, San Rafael by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,569

$12.45 ₡5,597

-0.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.3K

$62.3 ₡28.0K

-2.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$11.82 ₡5,315

-33.93%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$4.34 ₡1,951

0.69%

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

$1.78 ₡801

$2.61 ₡1,174

-31.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$1.93 ₡866

-30.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$3.30 ₡1,484

2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,940

$4.46 ₡2,007

-3.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$2.31 ₡1,039

-32.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,426

$3.06 ₡1,375

3.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,131

$2.39 ₡1,074

5.02%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$3.53 ₡1,589

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,314

$10.70 ₡4,813

-31.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,704

$10.61 ₡4,772

-1.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,256

$13.86 ₡6,232

0.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$5.12 ₡2,301

-55.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.60 ₡717

-2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$4.89 ₡2,197

-3.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$3.82 ₡1,718

-57.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,747

$3.72 ₡1,671

4.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$3.71 ₡1,666

2.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$1.13 ₡509

-5.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$3.20 ₡1,439

-18.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$6.00 ₡2,696

-14.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,144

$19.67 ₡8,846

3.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$2.87 ₡1,291

1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$3.55 ₡1,595

3.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$1.35 ₡607

-2.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$2.46 ₡1,107

-10.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡830

$1.62 ₡728

13.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,514

$8.85 ₡3,978

-11.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

-1.53%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$42.2K ₡19.0M

-9.83%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$96.5 ₡43.4K

-0.66%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$35.72 ₡16.1K

-0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$59.7 ₡26.9K

-10.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$68.3 ₡30.7K

-1.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$7.73 ₡3,478

-0.13%

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

$496 ₡222.9K

$985 ₡442.8K

-49.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-29.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$72.3 ₡32.5K

-24.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$56.9 ₡25.6K

-3.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$127 ₡56.9K

-36.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$133 ₡59.6K

-41.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$795 ₡357.3K

2.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.8K

$621 ₡279.3K

28.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$1,888 ₡849.2K

105.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.7K

$1,271 ₡571.8K

9.78%

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

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 Rafael: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

San Rafael

$621 36.1% 22.4% $179

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

San Rafael

$400 23.3% 13.5% $48

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

San Rafael

$231 13.4% 8.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

San Rafael

$192 11.2% 3.8% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

San Rafael

$175 10.2% 45.2% $54

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

San Rafael

$16 * 0.9% 82.2% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

San Rafael

$84 4.9% 1.1% $0.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $795 in San Rafael. 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 Rafael. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $400 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇷 San Rafael

🕒 Local time

14:42 2:42 PM

Same time as Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

30,000

💱 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

On the map

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Nosara San Rafael 170 km

From you

Nosara
San Rafael

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 Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,844 in Nosara, $1,718 in San Rafael – San Rafael comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,765 per month in Nosara and $2,577 in San Rafael. 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 $795 in San Rafael. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $496 per month in Nosara and $985 in San Rafael. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,844 in Nosara and $1,718 in San Rafael. That makes San Rafael about 7% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,844 in Nosara and $1,718 in San Rafael, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,718 in San Rafael to $1,844 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.