Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sacramento, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,026 in Sacramento, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sacramento, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,026

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,026 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $3,026
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,529 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $4,529
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $6,031 per month in Sacramento, CA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Sacramento, CA $6,031
Nosara $3,712

Sacramento, CA costs about 65% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sacramento, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Sacramento, CA by 126%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$12.22 ₡5,509

74.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.2 ₡27.1K

67.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.54 ₡3,399

63.79%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$4.31 ₡1,941

21.58%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$1.72 ₡773

64.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.35 ₡608

122.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.96 $7.96

$3.24 ₡1,459

145.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$4.48 ₡2,018

81.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.57 ₡707

-17.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.17 ₡1,429

27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.42 ₡1,091

85.54%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$3.57 ₡1,609

63.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 $15.05

$7.43 ₡3,349

102.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 $15.15

$10.42 ₡4,697

45.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 $18.60

$13.66 ₡6,156

36.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$2.32 ₡1,044

122.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.61 ₡728

26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.74 ₡2,138

-8.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$1.66 ₡747

235.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.72 ₡1,679

2.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.57 ₡1,611

-10.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.10 ₡497

130.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.55 ₡1,149

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.81 $11.81

$4.95 ₡2,232

138.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 $13.74

$20.01 ₡9,020

-31.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.79 ₡1,256

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.53 ₡1,589

0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.19 ₡537

114.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 $99.8

$72.1 ₡32.5K

38.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.24 ₡1,011

73.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.55 ₡701

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.27 $25.27

$8.86 ₡3,993

185.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.57 ₡708

-0.64%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

70.71%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-21.00%

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

$231 $231

$93.5 ₡42.1K

146.70%

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

$58.8 $58.8

$35.11 ₡15.8K

67.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$51.5 ₡23.2K

36.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.81 $41.81

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-41.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.35 $41.35

$35.44 ₡16.0K

16.68%

Cinema Ticket

$16.79 $16.79

$7.84 ₡3,535

114.16%

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

$1,527 $1,527

$490 ₡220.7K

212.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

64.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$53.5 ₡24.1K

11.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 $46.39

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$79.3 ₡35.7K

18.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$78.9 ₡35.6K

61.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 $2,075

$786 ₡354.3K

163.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 $1,567

$780 ₡351.6K

100.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,264 $3,264

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-15.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$1,407 ₡634.4K

85.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,881 $4,881

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-29.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,459 $3,459

$1,201 ₡541.3K

188.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,604 $4,604

$876 ₡395.0K

425.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

8.62

-23.55%

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

Last update for Sacramento, CA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sacramento, CA

$1.6K 50.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 50.2% $788

Groceries & Markets

Sacramento, CA

$463 15%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 24.5% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sacramento, CA

$360 11.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 49.9% $180

Eating Out

Sacramento, CA

$350 11.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 40.1% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Sacramento, CA

$148 4.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 18.5% $27

Getting Around

Sacramento, CA

$123 4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 29.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Sacramento, CA

$75 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 15.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,075 in Sacramento, CA versus $786 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 425% higher in Sacramento, 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 $101 in Sacramento, CA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $463 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sacramento, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

05:29 5:29 AM

1 h ahead of Sacramento, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

524,943

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Sacramento, CA Nosara 4,770 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sacramento, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,026 in Sacramento, CA, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 65% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,539 per month in Sacramento, CA and $2,756 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 38% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,527 per month in Sacramento, CA and $490 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 $1,837, than in Sacramento, CA at $3,026. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sacramento, 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $3,026 in Sacramento, 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, Sacramento, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.