Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santa Rita

For one person, living costs are similar in Nosara and in Santa Rita: $1,835 and $1,784 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Santa Rita

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,784 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Santa Rita $1,784

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,706 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Santa Rita $2,706

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,628 in Santa Rita, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Santa Rita $3,628

Nosara costs about 3% more than Santa Rita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nosara and Santa Rita sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Santa Rita by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$20.09 $20.09

-38.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$75.3 $75.3

-18.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$6.16 $6.16

25.97%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.04 $5.04

-11.90%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.48 $2.48

-27.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.43 $2.43

-46.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$7.90 $7.90

-58.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$9.88 $9.88

-55.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$3.85 $3.85

-59.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$4.24 $4.24

-27.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.63 $2.63

-3.80%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.84 $3.84

-10.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$19.70 $19.70

-62.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$6.46 $6.46

58.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$9.92 $9.92

42.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.76 $4.76

-51.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$2.69 $2.69

-39.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.50 $4.50

-63.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$4.08 $4.08

-5.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.77 $2.77

35.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.00 $2.00

-45.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.77 $2.77

1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$1.73 $1.73

103.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$32.63 $32.63

-73.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.39 $1.39

11.51%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$251 $251

-62.21%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$89.9 $89.9

-59.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$78.4 $78.4

-32.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$101 $101

-26.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

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

$490 ₡219.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$900 $900

-11.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$612 $612

29.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,982 $1,982

102.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,102 $1,102

27.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$303 $303

308.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$5,588 $5,588

-84.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Santa Rita: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Santa Rita

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Santa Rita

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Santa Rita

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Santa Rita

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Santa Rita

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Santa Rita

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Santa Rita

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $900 in Santa Rita. 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 530% higher in Santa Rita, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $75.0 in Santa Rita. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $333 in Santa Rita – so Santa Rita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇬🇺 Santa Rita

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

07:14 7:14 AM

16 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

7,500

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Santa Rita 13,880 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santa Rita

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 Rita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $1,784 in Santa Rita – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,676 in Santa Rita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Rita, 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 $75.0 in Santa Rita. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,835 in Nosara and $1,784 in Santa Rita. That's a gap of about 3%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Rita, where all-in costs run around $1,784, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Santa Rita 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 $1,784 in Santa Rita to $1,835 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 Rita. 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.