Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $4,319 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,319

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,319 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $4,319
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $6,503 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $6,503
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $8,686 per month in San Francisco, CA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

San Francisco, CA $8,686
Nosara $3,712

San Francisco, CA costs about 135% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Francisco, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – San Francisco, CA by 222%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 $26.68

$12.22 ₡5,509

118.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$60.2 ₡27.1K

99.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.77 $14.77

$7.54 ₡3,399

95.89%

Cappuccino

$6.03 $6.03

$4.31 ₡1,941

39.91%

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

$3.24 $3.24

$1.72 ₡773

88.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.35 ₡608

96.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$3.24 ₡1,459

151.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.26 $9.26

$4.48 ₡2,018

106.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.57 ₡707

10.19%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.17 ₡1,429

66.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.42 ₡1,091

96.28%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$3.57 ₡1,609

40.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$7.43 ₡3,349

117.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.66 $15.66

$10.42 ₡4,697

50.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.18 $22.18

$13.66 ₡6,156

62.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.32 ₡1,044

162.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.61 ₡728

77.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$4.74 ₡2,138

-9.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.97 $6.97

$1.66 ₡747

319.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.72 ₡1,679

-21.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.57 ₡1,611

0.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.10 ₡497

164.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.55 ₡1,149

7.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$4.95 ₡2,232

145.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$20.01 ₡9,020

-26.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.79 ₡1,256

16.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.53 ₡1,589

3.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.19 ₡537

148.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.4 $93.4

$72.1 ₡32.5K

29.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.24 ₡1,011

84.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.55 ₡701

27.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.24 $38.24

$8.86 ₡3,993

331.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.57 ₡708

-0.64%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

69.92%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-25.14%

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

$213 $213

$93.5 ₡42.1K

127.68%

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

$60.9 $60.9

$35.11 ₡15.8K

73.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.0 $75.0

$51.5 ₡23.2K

45.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$71.4 ₡32.2K

67.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-43.17%

Cinema Ticket

$18.28 $18.28

$7.84 ₡3,535

133.16%

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

$2,918 $2,918

$490 ₡220.7K

496.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.2K $42.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

254.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 $77.5

$53.5 ₡24.1K

44.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 $47.59

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-14.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$79.3 ₡35.7K

26.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$78.9 ₡35.6K

77.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,807 $3,807

$786 ₡354.3K

384.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$780 ₡351.6K

230.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,674 $5,674

$3,860 ₡1.7M

46.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,552 $4,552

$1,407 ₡634.4K

223.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,816 $9,816

$6,972 ₡3.1M

40.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,201 ₡541.3K

534.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,881 $6,881

$876 ₡395.0K

685.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

8.62

-21.58%

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

Last update for San Francisco, CA: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60%

Nosara

$780 43% 69.8% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco, CA

$516 12%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 32.2% $166

Eating Out

San Francisco, CA

$413 9.6%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 49.3% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco, CA

$349 8.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 48.4% $169

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 26.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco, CA

$156 3.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 44.2% $69

Getting Around

San Francisco, CA

$119 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 27.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,807 in San Francisco, 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 685% higher in San Francisco, 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 $120 in San Francisco, CA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $516 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

1 h ahead of San Francisco, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

873,965

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 →

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Between locations

San Francisco, CA Nosara 4,800 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,319 in San Francisco, CA, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 135% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,479 per month in San Francisco, 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 30% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,918 per month in San Francisco, 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 San Francisco, CA at $4,319. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Francisco, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Francisco, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $4,319 in San Francisco, 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 Francisco, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.