Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Santa Rosa

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa: $625 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
30

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

🇵🇭 Philippines

$625

/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 $625 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Santa Rosa $625

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $887 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Santa Rosa $887

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,149 in Santa Rosa, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Santa Rosa $1,149

Nosara costs about 194% 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 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.54 ₱160

386.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$16.82 ₱1,059

263.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$2.82 ₱177

166.67%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.13 ₱71.3

290.27%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.37 ₱23.13

370.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.23 ₱14.46

469.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$0.99 ₱62.1

231.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.23 ₱77.6

263.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.67 ₱105

-6.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.12 ₱70.8

169.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$0.94 ₱59.3

167.02%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.64 ₱103

117.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.20 ₱327

42.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.45 ₱217

204.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.08 ₱509

72.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.23 ₱140

5.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.77 ₱48.43

109.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.36 ₱149

103.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.03 ₱64.6

56.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.67 ₱105

127.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.71 ₱108

115.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.63 ₱39.36

79.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.49 ₱31.09

442.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.88 ₱181

79.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$8.70 ₱548

128.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.96 ₱60.2

202.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$2.02 ₱127

79.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.25 ₱15.53

348.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$12.68 ₱798

472.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.81 ₱51.2

164.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.25 ₱15.86

528.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.88 ₱119

353.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.99 ₱62.6

53.54%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

1.88%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

76.89%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$64.7 ₱4,071

48.92%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$6.25 ₱394

474.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$23.10 ₱1,454

131.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$32.29 ₱2,033

121.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.27 ₱269

717.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$5.33 ₱336

48.03%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$130 ₱8,197

279.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$5,510 ₱346.9K

115.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$28.54 ₱1,797

89.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$19.66 ₱1,238

181.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.6 ₱4,510

8.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$56.2 ₱3,536

41.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$271 ₱17.1K

190.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$172 ₱10.8K

362.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$526 ₱33.1K

648.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$172 ₱10.9K

722.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$2,054 ₱129.3K

236.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,115 ₱70.2K

9.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$144 ₱9,088

498.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.75

27.70%

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 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Santa Rosa

$172 27.5% 78.4% $622

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Santa Rosa

$169 27% 52.1% $184

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Santa Rosa

$52 8.4% 75.4% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Santa Rosa

$94 15.1% 49.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Santa Rosa

$79 12.7% 34% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Santa Rosa

$43 6.9% 50.8% $44

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Santa Rosa

$16 2.5% 81.9% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $271 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.

Salaries run about 498% 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 $17.00 in Santa Rosa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $169 – making Santa Rosa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇵🇭 Santa Rosa

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

06:51 6:51 AM

14 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

414,812

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Santa Rosa 16,010 km ≈ 21 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, $625 in Santa Rosa – roughly 194% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $937 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.

Public transport costs about 473% less in Santa Rosa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $130 in Santa Rosa. 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 Rosa, where all-in costs run around $625, 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 $625 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.