Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oxnard, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,186 in Oxnard, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Oxnard, CA
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Oxnard, CA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Oxnard, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oxnard, CA and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oxnard, CA and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,186 per month in Oxnard, CA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Oxnard, CA $3,186
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,226 per month in Oxnard, CA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Oxnard, CA $4,226
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,265 per month in Oxnard, CA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Oxnard, CA $5,265
Nosara $3,818

Oxnard, CA costs about 73% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Oxnard, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Oxnard, CA by 136%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 $20.32

$12.35 ₡5,539

64.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

6.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 $11.71

$7.52 ₡3,373

55.72%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$4.41 ₡1,978

30.61%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$1.74 ₡780

54.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.31 ₡587

54.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.28 ₡1,471

146.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.48 $9.48

$4.47 ₡2,004

112.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.56 ₡701

-23.72%

White Bread (500g)

$5.71 $5.71

$3.02 ₡1,355

89.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.51 ₡1,125

71.31%

Eggs

$4.98 $4.98

$3.57 ₡1,603

39.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$7.43 ₡3,333

66.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.32 $20.32

$10.52 ₡4,717

93.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 $13.99

$13.97 ₡6,265

0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.35 ₡1,052

86.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.61 ₡720

10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.80 ₡2,152

-13.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$1.61 ₡724

309.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.80 ₡1,703

-5.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.69 ₡1,657

-46.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.13 ₡507

111.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.66 ₡1,191

-17.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.18 ₡2,321

90.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$19.88 ₡8,916

-25.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.90 ₡1,300

-38.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.63 ₡1,626

-10.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.12 ₡504

32.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.14 ₡958

104.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.57 ₡703

15.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.90 $35.90

$8.52 ₡3,823

321.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.52 ₡682

-15.13%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

74.01%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.58%

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

$129 $129

$96.3 ₡43.2K

33.74%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$35.89 ₡16.1K

48.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

29.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 $61.6

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-13.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 $11.77

$7.89 ₡3,539

49.18%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$494 ₡221.6K

140.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K $42.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

259.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.90 $37.90

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-29.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.18 $41.18

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-25.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 $59.1

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-24.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 $81.0

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 $1,995

$788 ₡353.4K

153.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 $1,922

$794 ₡356.2K

142.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,359 $3,359

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-14.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,419 ₡636.5K

72.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,838 $5,838

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-15.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,922 $5,922

$1,224 ₡549.0K

383.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,379 $3,379

$864 ₡387.3K

291.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

8.62

-29.23%

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

Last update for Oxnard, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oxnard, CA

$1.9K 60.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 58.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Oxnard, CA

$465 14.6%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 24.2% $112

Eating Out

Oxnard, CA

$345 10.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 38.6% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oxnard, CA

$251 7.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 26.1% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Oxnard, CA

$99 3.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 21.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Oxnard, CA

$85 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 2.6% $2.2

Getting Around

Oxnard, CA

$19 * 0.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 349% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,995 in Oxnard, CA versus $788 in Nosara. 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 291% higher in Oxnard, CA, 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 $65.0 in Oxnard, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $465 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oxnard, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

18:29 6:29 PM

1 h ahead of Oxnard, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,254

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Oxnard, CA Nosara 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Oxnard, CA
Nosara

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

Oxnard, CA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,186 in Oxnard, CA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 73% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,780 per month in Oxnard, CA and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, 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 $65.0 in Oxnard, CA and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Oxnard, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Oxnard, CA at $3,186. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oxnard, CA 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $3,186 in Oxnard, CA. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oxnard, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.