Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasadena, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $4,276 in Pasadena, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

207

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Pasadena, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,276

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pasadena, 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 Pasadena, CA and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,276 per month in Pasadena, CA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Pasadena, CA $4,276
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $6,133 per month in Pasadena, CA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Pasadena, CA $6,133
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $7,990 per month in Pasadena, CA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Pasadena, CA $7,990
Nosara $3,818

Pasadena, CA costs about 133% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Pasadena, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Pasadena, CA by 217%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 $17.89

$12.35 ₡5,539

44.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

24.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$7.52 ₡3,373

34.44%

Cappuccino

$4.61 $4.61

$4.41 ₡1,978

4.54%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$1.74 ₡780

62.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.31 ₡587

21.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.95 $4.95

$3.28 ₡1,471

50.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 $5.71

$4.47 ₡2,004

27.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.56 ₡701

-10.90%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.02 ₡1,355

32.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.51 ₡1,125

16.73%

Eggs

$5.22 $5.22

$3.57 ₡1,603

46.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 $13.74

$7.43 ₡3,333

84.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$10.52 ₡4,717

32.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.58 $12.58

$13.97 ₡6,265

-9.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.35 ₡1,052

95.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.61 ₡720

39.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.80 ₡2,152

-5.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$1.61 ₡724

280.75%

Potato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.80 ₡1,703

22.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.69 ₡1,657

-35.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.13 ₡507

64.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.66 ₡1,191

-16.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.64 $11.64

$5.18 ₡2,321

124.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 $10.96

$19.88 ₡8,916

-44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.90 ₡1,300

-45.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.63 ₡1,626

-47.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.12 ₡504

56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 $103

$72.6 ₡32.6K

41.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.14 ₡958

65.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.57 ₡703

20.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.02 $24.02

$8.52 ₡3,823

181.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.52 ₡682

3.95%

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

$33.4K $33.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

54.54%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.04%

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

$248 $248

$96.3 ₡43.2K

157.94%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$35.89 ₡16.1K

64.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 $64.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

20.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.90 $34.90

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-51.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.33 $35.33

$34.91 ₡15.7K

1.20%

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 $12.21

$7.89 ₡3,539

54.75%

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

$3,835 $3,835

$494 ₡221.6K

676.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K $15.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

27.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.04 $31.04

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-42.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.98 $33.98

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-38.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-8.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$79.6 ₡35.7K

77.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,169 $3,169

$788 ₡353.4K

302.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,907 $2,907

$794 ₡356.2K

266.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,545 $5,545

$3,939 ₡1.8M

40.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,978 $4,978

$1,419 ₡636.5K

250.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,747 $8,747

$6,912 ₡3.1M

26.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,647 $8,647

$1,224 ₡549.0K

606.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,199 $5,199

$864 ₡387.3K

502.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

8.62

-26.57%

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

Last update for Pasadena, 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

Pasadena, CA

$2.9K 68%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 72.7% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Pasadena, CA

$407 9.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 13.4% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasadena, CA

$372 8.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 50% $186

Eating Out

Pasadena, CA

$282 6.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 25% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Pasadena, CA

$125 2.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 4% $5

Getting Around

Pasadena, CA

$123 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 29.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Pasadena, CA

$59 1.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 47.3% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,169 in Pasadena, 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 502% higher in Pasadena, 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 $76.0 in Pasadena, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pasadena, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:00 8:00 AM

09:00 9:00 AM

1 h ahead of Pasadena, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,122

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Pasadena, CA Nosara 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Pasadena, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,276 in Pasadena, CA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 133% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,414 per month in Pasadena, 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.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,835 per month in Pasadena, CA and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Pasadena, CA at $4,276. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pasadena, 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 $4,276 in Pasadena, 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, Pasadena, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.