Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Antonio, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,418 in San Antonio, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in San Antonio, TX
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San Antonio, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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San Antonio, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,418

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,418 per month in San Antonio, TX vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

San Antonio, TX $2,418
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,672 per month in San Antonio, TX vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

San Antonio, TX $3,672
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,926 per month in San Antonio, TX vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

San Antonio, TX $4,926
Nosara $3,712

San Antonio, TX costs about 32% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Antonio, TX and Nosara sit above the global median – San Antonio, TX by 80%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.28 $18.28

$12.22 ₡5,509

49.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$60.2 ₡27.1K

25.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 $10.10

$7.54 ₡3,399

33.95%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$4.31 ₡1,941

20.19%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.72 ₡773

52.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.35 ₡608

25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 $5.47

$3.24 ₡1,459

68.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 $6.11

$4.48 ₡2,018

36.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.57 ₡707

-23.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.17 ₡1,429

6.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.42 ₡1,091

82.23%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$3.57 ₡1,609

7.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.94 $11.94

$7.43 ₡3,349

60.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$10.42 ₡4,697

10.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$13.66 ₡6,156

31.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.32 ₡1,044

101.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.61 ₡728

0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$4.74 ₡2,138

-9.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.66 ₡747

107.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.72 ₡1,679

-31.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.57 ₡1,611

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.10 ₡497

71.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.55 ₡1,149

-10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.56 $9.56

$4.95 ₡2,232

93.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$20.01 ₡9,020

-26.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.79 ₡1,256

-0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.53 ₡1,589

-1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.19 ₡537

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.51 $37.51

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-47.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.24 ₡1,011

54.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.55 ₡701

13.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$8.86 ₡3,993

172.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.57 ₡708

-41.40%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

67.34%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-25.22%

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

$216 $216

$93.5 ₡42.1K

131.47%

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

$71.3 $71.3

$35.11 ₡15.8K

102.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.5 $78.5

$51.5 ₡23.2K

52.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.92 $36.92

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-48.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.24 $21.24

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-40.07%

Cinema Ticket

$14.43 $14.43

$7.84 ₡3,535

84.06%

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

$1,306 $1,306

$490 ₡220.7K

166.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K $19.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

61.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 $52.1

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-2.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-9.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 $135

$79.3 ₡35.7K

69.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$78.9 ₡35.6K

87.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 $1,460

$786 ₡354.3K

85.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 $1,054

$780 ₡351.6K

35.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,925 $2,925

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-24.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 $2,021

$1,407 ₡634.4K

43.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,389 $4,389

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-37.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,854 $1,854

$1,201 ₡541.3K

54.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,095 $4,095

$876 ₡395.0K

367.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

8.62

-25.29%

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

Last update for San Antonio, TX: 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

San Antonio, TX

$1.1K 43.9%

Nosara

$780 43% 26% $274

Groceries & Markets

San Antonio, TX

$393 16.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 11% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Antonio, TX

$366 15.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 50.8% $186

Eating Out

San Antonio, TX

$296 12.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 29.1% $86

Clothing & Footwear

San Antonio, TX

$173 7.2%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 30.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

San Antonio, TX

$66 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 32.4% $21

Getting Around

San Antonio, TX

$55 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 58.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,460 in San Antonio, TX 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 367% higher in San Antonio, TX, 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 $75.0 in San Antonio, TX versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Antonio, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:33 1:33 AM

00:33 12:33 AM

1 h behind San Antonio, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,434,625

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 = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Antonio, TX Nosara 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Antonio, TX
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

San Antonio, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,418 in San Antonio, TX, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 32% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,627 per month in San Antonio, TX 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 92% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,306 per month in San Antonio, TX 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 San Antonio, TX at $2,418. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Antonio, TX 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 $2,418 in San Antonio, TX. 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, San Antonio, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.