Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santa Maria

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Maria: $743 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Santa Maria
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Santa Maria Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Santa Maria

🇧🇷 Brazil

$743

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $743 in Santa Maria, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Santa Maria $743

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,242 in Santa Maria, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Santa Maria $1,242

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,742 in Santa Maria, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Santa Maria $1,742

Nosara costs about 147% more than Santa Maria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Santa Maria is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$5.45 R$27.65

126.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$36.62 R$186

67.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$6.82 R$34.57

10.26%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.85 R$9.36

138.38%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.07 R$5.40

62.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.68 R$3.46

92.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.63 R$8.29

101.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.07 R$15.55

45.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.04 R$5.27

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.64 R$8.31

84.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.08 R$5.48

132.41%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.10 R$10.64

70.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.43 R$47.80

-21.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.96 R$20.07

165.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.20 R$41.58

70.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.48 R$12.57

-5.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.50 R$7.61

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.36 R$6.91

252.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.53 R$7.75

5.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.16 R$5.88

227.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.13 R$5.71

226.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.86 R$4.37

31.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.81 R$4.12

228.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.38 R$12.07

117.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.18 R$41.44

143.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.14 R$5.77

154.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.19 R$11.09

65.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.01 R$5.13

10.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$30.52 R$155

138.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.32 R$6.70

62.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.87 R$4.39

80.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$8.16 R$41.36

4.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.23 R$6.21

23.58%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.9K R$121.2K

-9.64%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$32.6K R$165.3K

5.89%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$53.4 R$271

80.25%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$12.65 R$64.1

183.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$16.66 R$84.5

221.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$23.82 R$121

200.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$12.05 R$61.1

189.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.66 R$28.68

39.40%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$163 R$828

202.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$3,049 R$15.5K

288.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$51.2 R$260

5.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$43.38 R$220

27.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$95.9 R$486

-18.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$62.3 R$316

27.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$293 R$1,486

168.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$172 R$870

363.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$648 R$3,285

507.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$391 R$1,982

262.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,029 R$10.3K

240.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$674 R$3,416

81.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$637 R$3,227

35.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-13.80%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Santa Maria

$172 23.1% 78.4% $623

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Santa Maria

$192 25.9% 45.5% $160

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Santa Maria

$108 14.5% 49.2% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Santa Maria

$83 11.1% 55.5% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Santa Maria

$114 15.3% 5.3% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santa Maria

$35 4.7% 59.8% $52

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Santa Maria

$40 5.4% 53.8% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $293 in Santa Maria. 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 36% 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 $37.00 in Santa Maria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $192 – making Santa Maria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇧🇷 Santa Maria

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

09:20 9:20 AM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

271,735

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Santa Maria 5,570 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santa Maria

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 Maria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $743 in Santa Maria – roughly 147% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,114 in Santa Maria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 138% less in Santa Maria. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $163 in Santa Maria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Maria, where all-in costs run around $743, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Santa Maria 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 $743 in Santa Maria 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 Maria. 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.