Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santa Fe, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,850 in Santa Fe, NM, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe, NM
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Santa Fe, NM Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Santa Fe, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,850

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Santa Fe, NM

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

A single person spends $1,844 per month in Nosara vs $2,850 in Santa Fe, NM, rent included.

Nosara $1,844
Santa Fe, NM $2,850

A couple spends around $2,817 per month in Nosara vs $3,895 in Santa Fe, NM, rent included.

Nosara $2,817
Santa Fe, NM $3,895

A family of three spends $3,790 per month in Nosara vs $4,940 in Santa Fe, NM, rent included.

Nosara $3,790
Santa Fe, NM $4,940

Nosara is about 35% cheaper than Santa Fe, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Santa Fe, NM sit above the global median – Nosara by 36%, Santa Fe, NM by 111%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,568

$16.85 $16.85

-26.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$60.5 $60.5

0.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$9.87 $9.87

-20.87%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$4.93 $4.93

-11.36%

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

$1.78 ₡800

$2.91 $2.91

-38.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$2.32 $2.32

-41.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$6.05 $6.05

-43.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,939

$6.90 $6.90

-37.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$0.92 $0.92

68.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,425

$3.19 $3.19

-0.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,130

$4.40 $4.40

-42.95%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$4.28 $4.28

-17.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,313

$11.76 $11.76

-37.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,703

$9.41 $9.41

11.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,255

$16.97 $16.97

-18.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$4.90 $4.90

-53.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.48 $1.48

5.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$3.90 $3.90

20.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$4.41 $4.41

-63.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,746

$3.23 $3.23

20.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$2.03 $2.03

86.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$2.05 $2.05

-47.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$2.47 $2.47

5.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$10.82 $10.82

-52.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,143

$16.21 $16.21

25.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$2.05 $2.05

41.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$3.57 $3.57

2.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

$0.97 $0.97

35.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$20.07 $20.07

264.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

$3.49 $3.49

-37.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡829

$2.22 $2.22

-17.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$34.87 $34.87

-77.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.08 $1.08

44.44%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$26.8K $26.8K

24.48%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$25.3K $25.3K

50.18%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$160 $160

-39.93%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$44.85 $44.85

-21.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$68.9 $68.9

-22.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$68.0 $68.0

-0.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$13.05 $13.05

-40.84%

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

$496 ₡222.8K

$1,353 $1,353

-63.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$22.7K $22.7K

-47.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$54.0 $54.0

1.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$44.19 $44.19

24.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$79.0 $79.0

1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$116 $116

-32.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$2,184 $2,184

-62.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.7K

$1,642 $1,642

-51.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$2,929 $2,929

32.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.6K

$2,314 $2,314

-39.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

$6,131 $6,131

13.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.6K

$3,761 $3,761

-67.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.3K

$3,862 $3,862

-77.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.64

29.82%

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

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe, NM: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Santa Fe, NM

$1.6K 57.6% 105% $842

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Santa Fe, NM

$381 13.4% 8.2% $29

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Santa Fe, NM

$289 10.1% 35.4% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Santa Fe, NM

$273 9.6% 47.8% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Santa Fe, NM

$132 4.6% 9.7% $12

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Santa Fe, NM

$39 1.4% 57.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Santa Fe, NM

$94 3.3% 13.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Nosara versus $2,184 in Santa Fe, NM. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Santa Fe, NM are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $60 in Santa Fe, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $353 in Nosara vs $381 in Santa Fe, NM – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Santa Fe, NM

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

14:35 2:35 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

87,505

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Santa Fe, NM 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santa Fe, NM

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 Fe, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,844 in Nosara, $2,850 in Santa Fe, NM – Nosara comes out roughly 35% 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 $4,275 in Santa Fe, NM. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $817 there versus $2,184 in Santa Fe, NM.

Public transport costs about 73% less in Santa Fe, NM. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Santa Fe, NM, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Fe, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.