Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Clemente, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,426 in San Clemente, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in San Clemente, CA
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San Clemente, CA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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San Clemente, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,426

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,426 per month in San Clemente, CA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

San Clemente, CA $3,426
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $5,328 per month in San Clemente, CA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

San Clemente, CA $5,328
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $7,230 per month in San Clemente, CA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

San Clemente, CA $7,230
Nosara $3,818

San Clemente, CA costs about 86% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Clemente, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – San Clemente, CA by 154%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.27 $25.27

$12.35 ₡5,539

104.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

62.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.31 $12.31

$7.52 ₡3,373

63.70%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$4.41 ₡1,978

31.52%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$1.74 ₡780

80.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.31 ₡587

98.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.28 ₡1,471

146.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.56 $9.56

$4.47 ₡2,004

113.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.56 ₡701

-29.49%

White Bread (500g)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.02 ₡1,355

45.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.51 ₡1,125

88.84%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$3.57 ₡1,603

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$7.43 ₡3,333

121.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.88 $13.88

$10.52 ₡4,717

31.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.97 ₡6,265

34.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.35 ₡1,052

101.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.61 ₡720

18.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$4.80 ₡2,152

-10.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$1.61 ₡724

200.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.80 ₡1,703

-17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$3.69 ₡1,657

-29.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.13 ₡507

91.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.66 ₡1,191

-22.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.43 $7.43

$5.18 ₡2,321

43.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.58 $15.58

$19.88 ₡8,916

-21.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.90 ₡1,300

-23.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.63 ₡1,626

-14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.12 ₡504

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.53 $46.53

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-35.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.14 ₡958

42.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.57 ₡703

35.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.53 $27.53

$8.52 ₡3,823

223.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.52 ₡682

-17.11%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

29.82%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.49%

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

$247 $247

$96.3 ₡43.2K

156.25%

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

$74.7 $74.7

$35.89 ₡16.1K

108.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 $84.9

$53.6 ₡24.0K

58.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.29 $44.29

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-38.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 $17.63

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-49.50%

Cinema Ticket

$15.24 $15.24

$7.89 ₡3,539

93.16%

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

$986 $986

$494 ₡221.6K

99.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.6K $35.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

200.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 $67.1

$53.9 ₡24.2K

24.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.46 $29.46

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-46.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 $88.6

$77.9 ₡34.9K

13.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$79.6 ₡35.7K

80.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 $2,340

$788 ₡353.4K

196.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 $1,897

$794 ₡356.2K

138.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 $4,044

$3,939 ₡1.8M

2.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,813 $3,813

$1,419 ₡636.5K

168.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,394 $6,394

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-7.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,293 $3,293

$1,224 ₡549.0K

169.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,980 $3,980

$864 ₡387.3K

360.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

8.62

-28.19%

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

Last update for San Clemente, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Clemente, CA

$1.9K 55.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 58.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

San Clemente, CA

$438 12.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 19.6% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Clemente, CA

$406 11.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 54.3% $221

Eating Out

San Clemente, CA

$391 11.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 45.8% $179

Clothing & Footwear

San Clemente, CA

$148 4.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 18.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

San Clemente, CA

$75 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 16.9% $13

Getting Around

San Clemente, CA

$71 2.1%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 22.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,340 in San Clemente, 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 361% higher in San Clemente, 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 $99.0 in San Clemente, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $438 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Clemente, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:12 9:12 PM

22:12 10:12 PM

1 h ahead of San Clemente, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,526

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

San Clemente, CA Nosara 4,180 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Clemente, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,426 in San Clemente, CA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 86% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,140 per month in San Clemente, 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 56% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $986 per month in San Clemente, 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 San Clemente, CA at $3,426. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Clemente, 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 $3,426 in San Clemente, 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, San Clemente, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.