Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Bernardo and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in San Bernardo: $897 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in San Bernardo
Learn more

San Bernardo Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

San Bernardo

🇨🇱 Chile

$897

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $897 per month in San Bernardo vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

San Bernardo $897
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in San Bernardo vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

San Bernardo $1,414
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,932 per month in San Bernardo vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

San Bernardo $1,932
Nosara $3,818

San Bernardo is about 51% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Bernardo sits 34% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.85 CLP 7,727

$12.35 ₡5,539

-36.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.41 CLP 25.0K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-58.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 CLP 6,407

$7.52 ₡3,373

-13.43%

Cappuccino

$2.52 CLP 2,481

$4.41 ₡1,978

-42.86%

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

$0.94 CLP 922

$1.74 ₡780

-45.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 CLP 991

$1.31 ₡587

-22.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 CLP 3,985

$3.28 ₡1,471

23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 CLP 4,421

$4.47 ₡2,004

0.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 CLP 1,132

$1.56 ₡701

-26.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 CLP 1,272

$3.02 ₡1,355

-57.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,632

$2.51 ₡1,125

-33.86%

Eggs

$3.91 CLP 3,848

$3.57 ₡1,603

9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CLP 11.1K

$7.43 ₡3,333

51.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 CLP 4,289

$10.52 ₡4,717

-58.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 CLP 10.6K

$13.97 ₡6,265

-23.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 CLP 1,855

$2.35 ₡1,052

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,489

$1.61 ₡720

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 CLP 1,396

$4.80 ₡2,152

-70.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,721

$1.61 ₡724

8.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 CLP 839

$3.80 ₡1,703

-77.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 CLP 822

$3.69 ₡1,657

-77.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 CLP 1,194

$1.13 ₡507

7.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,065

$2.66 ₡1,191

-59.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 CLP 3,259

$5.18 ₡2,321

-36.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 CLP 5,959

$19.88 ₡8,916

-69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CLP 1,541

$2.90 ₡1,300

-45.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CLP 2,261

$3.63 ₡1,626

-36.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 CLP 781

$1.12 ₡504

-29.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 391

$2.14 ₡958

-81.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 830

$1.57 ₡703

-46.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.45 CLP 11.3K

$8.52 ₡3,823

34.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CLP 1,293

$1.52 ₡682

-13.82%

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

$17.5K CLP 17.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-18.89%

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

$21.7K CLP 21.4M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-37.05%

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

$123 CLP 120.7K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

27.39%

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

$12.05 CLP 11.9K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-66.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.63 CLP 16.4K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-68.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.89 CLP 19.6K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-72.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 CLP 7,312

$7.89 ₡3,539

-5.83%

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

$434 CLP 427.0K

$494 ₡221.6K

-12.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-9.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.88 CLP 36.3K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-31.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.73 CLP 26.3K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-51.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 CLP 64.3K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-16.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 CLP 79.3K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 CLP 274.4K

$788 ₡353.4K

-64.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 CLP 241.6K

$794 ₡356.2K

-69.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 CLP 691.9K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-82.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 CLP 543.3K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-61.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,856 CLP 1.8M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-73.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 CLP 1.3M

$1,224 ₡549.0K

10.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,335 CLP 1.3M

$864 ₡387.3K

54.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

8.62

-37.47%

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

Last update for San Bernardo: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Bernardo

$245 27.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 224% $549

Groceries & Markets

San Bernardo

$214 23.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 64.7% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Bernardo

$151 16.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 22.7% $34

Eating Out

San Bernardo

$150 16.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 41.6% $62

Clothing & Footwear

San Bernardo

$94 10.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 27.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

San Bernardo

$35 3.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 152% $53

Getting Around

San Bernardo

$7.8 * 0.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 1018% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $279 in San Bernardo 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 55% higher in San Bernardo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in San Bernardo versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $352 – making San Bernardo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 San Bernardo

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

10:37 10:37 AM

3 h behind San Bernardo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,912

4,912

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 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).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Bernardo Nosara 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

San Bernardo
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 Bernardo vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $897 in San Bernardo, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 105% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,345 per month in San Bernardo 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 San Bernardo, 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 $25.00 in San Bernardo 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 65% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Bernardo, where all-in costs run around $897, than in Nosara at $1,839. In San Bernardo 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 $897 in San Bernardo 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 San Bernardo. 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.