Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santa Ana, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,497 in Santa Ana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 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
170

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana, CA
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Santa Ana, CA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Santa Ana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,497

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $3,497 in Santa Ana, CA, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Santa Ana, CA $3,497

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $5,006 in Santa Ana, CA, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Santa Ana, CA $5,006

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $6,515 in Santa Ana, CA, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Santa Ana, CA $6,515

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

Both Nosara and Santa Ana, CA sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Santa Ana, CA by 161%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$23.22 $23.22

-47.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$79.3 $79.3

-24.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$16.25 $16.25

-53.60%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$5.83 $5.83

-26.07%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$3.04 $3.04

-43.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.37 $2.37

-43.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$7.33 $7.33

-55.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$9.28 $9.28

-51.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.06 $1.06

48.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$4.02 $4.02

-21.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$4.64 $4.64

-47.84%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$5.67 $5.67

-37.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$12.87 $12.87

-42.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$16.61 $16.61

-37.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$21.30 $21.30

-35.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.83 $4.83

-51.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.71 $1.71

-5.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.92 $3.92

20.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$5.62 $5.62

-70.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$3.63 $3.63

2.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$3.14 $3.14

13.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.18 $2.18

-49.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.92 $1.92

32.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$11.93 $11.93

-58.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$15.29 $15.29

30.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$2.46 $2.46

13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$4.05 $4.05

-12.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$1.97 $1.97

-39.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$68.2 $68.2

5.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$6.08 $6.08

-63.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$4.99 $4.99

-68.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$49.09 $49.09

-81.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.49 $1.49

5.37%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$37.7K $37.7K

-42.19%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$26.8K $26.8K

29.10%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$176 $176

-46.76%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$68.0 $68.0

-48.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$73.7 $73.7

-30.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$57.3 $57.3

24.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$44.52 $44.52

-20.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$15.38 $15.38

-49.02%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$1,187 $1,187

-58.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$63.1 $63.1

-15.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$42.41 $42.41

31.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$104 $104

-24.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$143 $143

-44.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$2,696 $2,696

-70.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$2,026 $2,026

-61.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$3,207 $3,207

20.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$3,173 $3,173

-55.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$4,585 $4,585

52.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$4,374 $4,374

-72.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$3,154 $3,154

-72.21%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Santa Ana, CA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Santa Ana, CA

$2K 57.3% 160% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Santa Ana, CA

$456 12.9% 30.4% $106

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Santa Ana, CA

$381 10.8% 82.1% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Santa Ana, CA

$317 9% 76.2% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Santa Ana, CA

$159 4.5% 31.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santa Ana, CA

$88 2.5% 1.1% $1

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santa Ana, CA

$107 3% 23.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $2,696 in Santa Ana, 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 260% higher in Santa Ana, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $79.0 in Santa Ana, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $456 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Santa Ana, CA

🕒 Local time

23:44 11:44 PM

22:44 10:44 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

335,400

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Santa Ana, CA 4,210 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $3,497 in Santa Ana, CA – roughly 90% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $5,246 in Santa Ana, 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 6% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $1,187 in Santa Ana, 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 $1,837, than in Santa Ana, CA at $3,497. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Ana, 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $3,497 in Santa Ana, 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, Santa Ana, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.