Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Dimas, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,562 in San Dimas, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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San Dimas, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,562

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,562 per month in San Dimas, CA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

San Dimas, CA $2,562
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,689 per month in San Dimas, CA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

San Dimas, CA $3,689
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,816 per month in San Dimas, CA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

San Dimas, CA $4,816
Nosara $3,712

San Dimas, CA costs about 39% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Dimas, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – San Dimas, CA by 91%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.15 $12.15

$12.22 ₡5,509

-0.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 $50.7

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-15.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 $9.15

$7.54 ₡3,399

21.35%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$4.31 ₡1,941

35.73%

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

$3.42 $3.42

$1.72 ₡773

98.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.35 ₡608

76.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 $7.58

$3.24 ₡1,459

133.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$4.48 ₡2,018

80.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.57 ₡707

-33.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.17 ₡1,429

26.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.42 ₡1,091

100.41%

Eggs

$4.65 $4.65

$3.57 ₡1,609

30.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 $12.87

$7.43 ₡3,349

73.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.05 $20.05

$10.42 ₡4,697

92.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 $15.40

$13.66 ₡6,156

12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.32 ₡1,044

112.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.61 ₡728

3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.74 ₡2,138

15.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$1.66 ₡747

256.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.72 ₡1,679

0.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.57 ₡1,611

-35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.10 ₡497

84.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.55 ₡1,149

-24.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$4.95 ₡2,232

139.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 $15.21

$20.01 ₡9,020

-23.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.79 ₡1,256

-29.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.53 ₡1,589

20.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.19 ₡537

68.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 $6.21

$2.24 ₡1,011

177.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.55 ₡701

10.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.65 $33.65

$8.86 ₡3,993

279.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.57 ₡708

-3.18%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

67.77%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-20.74%

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

$170 $170

$93.5 ₡42.1K

82.18%

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

$66.2 $66.2

$35.11 ₡15.8K

88.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 $60.5

$51.5 ₡23.2K

17.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.71 $41.71

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-41.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 $14.96

$7.84 ₡3,535

90.82%

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

$1,917 $1,917

$490 ₡220.7K

291.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K $25.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

115.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$53.5 ₡24.1K

9.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 $39.64

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-28.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$79.3 ₡35.7K

17.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$78.9 ₡35.6K

83.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 $1,593

$786 ₡354.3K

102.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 $1,470

$780 ₡351.6K

88.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 $2,483

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-35.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,341 $2,341

$1,407 ₡634.4K

66.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,666 $2,666

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-61.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 $2,437

$1,201 ₡541.3K

102.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,989 $3,989

$876 ₡395.0K

355.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

8.62

-25.87%

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

Last update for San Dimas, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Dimas, CA

$1.5K 53.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 46.9% $690

Groceries & Markets

San Dimas, CA

$455 16.6%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 23.2% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Dimas, CA

$297 10.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 39.4% $117

Eating Out

San Dimas, CA

$272 9.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 23% $63

Clothing & Footwear

San Dimas, CA

$151 5.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 20.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

San Dimas, CA

$72 2.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 21.6% $15

Getting Around

San Dimas, CA

$23 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 282% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,593 in San Dimas, 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 355% higher in San Dimas, 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 $51.0 in San Dimas, CA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $455 in San Dimas, CA vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Dimas, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:42 8:42 PM

21:42 9:42 PM

1 h ahead of San Dimas, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,714

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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 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 →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Dimas, CA Nosara 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,562 in San Dimas, CA, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,843 per month in San Dimas, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in San Dimas, CA and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in San Dimas, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in San Dimas, CA at $2,562. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Dimas, 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 $2,562 in San Dimas, 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 Dimas, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.