Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santa Fe

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Fe: $1,071 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe
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Santa Fe Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Santa Fe

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,071

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,071 in Santa Fe, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Santa Fe $1,071

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,655 in Santa Fe, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Santa Fe $1,655

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,239 in Santa Fe, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Santa Fe $2,239

Nosara costs about 72% more than Santa Fe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Santa Fe is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,556

$9.93 ARS 15.1K

24.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.5K

$37.60 ARS 57.0K

62.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,383

$12.68 ARS 19.2K

-40.69%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,984

$1.69 ARS 2,556

160.95%

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

$1.74 ₡782

$1.55 ARS 2,348

12.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡589

$1.33 ARS 2,020

-1.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,475

$3.43 ARS 5,208

-4.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,010

$4.99 ARS 7,572

-10.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.01 ARS 1,526

54.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,359

$1.64 ARS 2,481

84.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,129

$1.04 ARS 1,572

141.35%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,608

$1.54 ARS 2,341

131.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,344

$8.60 ARS 13.0K

-13.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,732

$6.07 ARS 9,200

73.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,284

$10.68 ARS 16.2K

30.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,055

$1.99 ARS 3,016

18.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡722

$1.52 ARS 2,298

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,159

$0.87 ARS 1,316

451.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡726

$2.38 ARS 3,602

-32.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,708

$0.57 ARS 867

566.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,662

$0.63 ARS 955

485.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$1.02 ARS 1,553

10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,195

$1.02 ARS 1,546

160.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,328

$3.11 ARS 4,715

66.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,944

$4.87 ARS 7,389

308.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,304

$1.23 ARS 1,861

135.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,631

$2.05 ARS 3,109

77.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡506

$1.04 ARS 1,570

7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡961

$1.01 ARS 1,538

111.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡706

$0.98 ARS 1,479

60.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,835

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡684

$1.14 ARS 1,736

33.33%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$20.0K ARS 30.3M

8.20%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$29.8K ARS 45.2M

15.76%

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

$96.3 ₡43.3K

$60.1 ARS 91.2K

60.19%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$19.86 ARS 30.1K

80.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.1K

$20.95 ARS 31.8K

155.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.2K

$33.96 ARS 51.5K

110.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,550

$4.83 ARS 7,327

63.35%

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

$494 ₡222.3K

$238 ARS 361.5K

107.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.3K

$88.2 ARS 133.7K

-38.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.9K

$60.4 ARS 91.6K

-8.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡35.1K

$115 ARS 173.7K

-31.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.8K

$140 ARS 212.8K

-43.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡354.5K

$513 ARS 777.2K

53.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡357.3K

$360 ARS 545.9K

120.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$931 ARS 1.4M

323.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡638.4K

$609 ARS 923.1K

133.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡388.5K

$847 ARS 1.3M

1.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

100

-91.38%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Santa Fe

$360 33.6% 54.7% $434

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Santa Fe

$199 18.5% 43.6% $154

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Santa Fe

$176 16.5% 16.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Santa Fe

$101 9.4% 45.7% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Santa Fe

$182 17% 51.2% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santa Fe

$44 4.1% 50.1% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Santa Fe

$10 * 0.9% 88.5% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $513 in Santa Fe. 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 2% 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $38.00 in Santa Fe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $199 – making Santa Fe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇷 Santa Fe

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

391,164

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Santa Fe 5,340 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santa Fe

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,071 in Santa Fe – roughly 72% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,607 in Santa Fe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $38.00 in Santa Fe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 77% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Fe, where all-in costs run around $1,071, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Santa Fe 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 $1,071 in Santa Fe to $1,839 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 Fe. 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.