Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santa Rosa

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa: $1,265 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa
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Santa Rosa Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Santa Rosa

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,265

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $1,265 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Santa Rosa $1,265

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $2,107 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Santa Rosa $2,107

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $2,950 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Santa Rosa $2,950

Nosara costs about 45% more than Santa Rosa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Santa Rosa is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$17.42 ARS 26.4K

-29.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$58.3 ARS 88.5K

4.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$14.10 ARS 21.4K

-46.67%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$3.86 ARS 5,864

14.25%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.91 ARS 2,892

-8.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.94 ARS 2,940

-32.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$4.01 ARS 6,085

-18.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$3.65 ARS 5,544

22.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.46 ARS 2,212

6.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$2.51 ARS 3,809

20.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.72 ARS 2,610

45.93%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$3.14 ARS 4,758

13.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$10.74 ARS 16.3K

-30.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$7.00 ARS 10.6K

50.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$11.06 ARS 16.8K

26.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.27 ARS 3,449

3.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.94 ARS 2,940

-17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.39 ARS 2,115

245.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.56 ARS 3,888

-37.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.23 ARS 1,868

208.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.04 ARS 1,583

254.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$1.57 ARS 2,377

69.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$3.65 ARS 5,537

41.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$4.38 ARS 6,648

353.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.70 ARS 2,581

70.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.10 ARS 4,703

17.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.03 ARS 1,570

8.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.56 ARS 2,360

37.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.26 ARS 1,905

20.63%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$29.0K ARS 44.0M

-25.51%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.1K ARS 53.2M

-1.60%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$116 ARS 176.3K

-17.13%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$15.64 ARS 23.7K

129.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$29.16 ARS 44.2K

83.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$34.30 ARS 52.0K

108.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$8.31 ARS 12.6K

-5.05%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$269 ARS 407.6K

83.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$108 ARS 164.6K

-50.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$111 ARS 168.4K

-29.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$146 ARS 221.3K

-45.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$561 ARS 850.6K

40.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$363 ARS 551.1K

118.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$932 ARS 1.4M

322.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$874 ARS 1.3M

62.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Santa Rosa

$363 28.7% 54.3% $431

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Santa Rosa

$249 * 19.7% 29.3% $103

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Santa Rosa

$271 21.4% 27.8% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Santa Rosa

$161 12.7% 13.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Santa Rosa

$164 * 13% 36.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santa Rosa

$51 4% 41.7% $36

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Santa Rosa

$5.7 * 0.5% 93.5% $81

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 $561 in Santa Rosa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $58.0 in Santa Rosa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $249 – making Santa Rosa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇷 Santa Rosa

🕒 Local time

10:41 10:41 AM

13:41 1:41 PM

3 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

116,083

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Santa Rosa 5,640 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Santa Rosa

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 Rosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $1,265 in Santa Rosa – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,897 in Santa Rosa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Rosa, 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 $58.0 in Santa Rosa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Rosa, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Santa Rosa 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 $1,265 in Santa Rosa 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 Rosa. 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.