Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santa Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $676 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Santa Cruz

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $676 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Santa Cruz $676

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $1,255 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Santa Cruz $1,255

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $1,834 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Santa Cruz $1,834

Nosara costs about 172% more than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 37% above the global median, while Santa Cruz is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$2.08 BOB 24.47

487.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$17.80 BOB 209

238.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$5.59 BOB 65.8

34.88%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.89 BOB 22.26

128.04%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.53 BOB 6.24

224.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.43 BOB 5.03

213.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$0.98 BOB 11.57

230.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$1.34 BOB 15.81

234.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.82 BOB 9.63

91.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$1.06 BOB 12.44

199.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.09 BOB 12.84

122.02%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.13 BOB 13.27

215.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$3.43 BOB 40.41

116.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$2.77 BOB 32.58

276.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$5.29 BOB 62.3

158.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.89 BOB 22.26

22.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$0.68 BOB 7.99

136.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$0.80 BOB 9.47

492.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.78 BOB 9.14

112.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.74 BOB 8.73

402.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.70 BOB 8.19

410.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.64 BOB 7.51

71.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.73 BOB 8.57

249.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.07 BOB 24.40

139.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$4.44 BOB 52.2

350.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.15 BOB 13.56

142.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$1.66 BOB 19.54

112.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.28 BOB 3.31

325.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$24.41 BOB 287

195.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.84 BOB 21.60

21.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.99 BOB 11.67

56.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$6.80 BOB 80.0

30.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.65 BOB 7.65

141.54%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$14.7K BOB 173.5K

47.95%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$20.6K BOB 242.4K

68.20%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$38.52 BOB 453

142.60%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$20.51 BOB 241

71.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$18.97 BOB 223

171.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$20.99 BOB 247

240.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$13.61 BOB 160

160.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.38 BOB 75.1

22.88%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$120 BOB 1,416

306.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$3,216 BOB 37.9K

269.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$29.21 BOB 344

83.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$37.59 BOB 442

48.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$72.1 BOB 848

9.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$62.0 BOB 730

27.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$277 BOB 3,258

183.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$255 BOB 3,005

205.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$910 BOB 10.7K

324.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$873 BOB 10.3K

61.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,342 BOB 15.8K

419.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$750 BOB 8,822

60.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$302 BOB 3,553

190.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.17

39.71%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Santa Cruz

$255 37.6% 67.3% $525

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Santa Cruz

$121 17.9% 65.3% $228

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Santa Cruz

$68 10% 67.8% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Santa Cruz

$78 11.5% 56.7% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Santa Cruz

$90 13.3% 24.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santa Cruz

$34 5% 61.2% $53

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santa Cruz

$32 4.8% 62.8% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $277 in Santa Cruz. 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 190% higher in Nosara, 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 $18.00 in Santa Cruz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $121 – making Santa Cruz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇴 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

06:52 6:52 AM

2 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,800,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 BOB = 8.5 USD

100 BOB = 7.58 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BOB, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.77 BOB (100 BOB = 8.5 USD). 1 EUR = 13.19 BOB (100 BOB = 7.58 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Santa Cruz 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santa Cruz

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 Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $676 in Santa Cruz – roughly 172% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $1,014 in Santa Cruz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Cruz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 195% less in Santa Cruz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $120 in Santa Cruz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $676, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Santa Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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 $676 in Santa Cruz to $1,837 in Nosara. 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 Santa Cruz. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.