Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Francisco and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in San Francisco: $1,668 a month against $1,846 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
Learn more

San Francisco Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,668 per month in San Francisco vs $1,846 in Nosara, rent included.

San Francisco $1,668
Nosara $1,846

A couple spends around $2,674 per month in San Francisco vs $2,833 in Nosara, rent included.

San Francisco $2,674
Nosara $2,833

A family of three spends $3,680 per month in San Francisco vs $3,820 in Nosara, rent included.

San Francisco $3,680
Nosara $3,820

San Francisco is about 10% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Francisco and Nosara sit above the global median – San Francisco by 23%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.03 ₡4,524

$12.36 ₡5,575

-18.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 ₡27.8K

$60.8 ₡27.4K

1.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 ₡5,024

$7.88 ₡3,557

41.24%

Cappuccino

$4.56 ₡2,058

$4.40 ₡1,986

3.64%

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

$1.29 ₡584

$1.72 ₡776

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₡774

$1.34 ₡603

27.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 ₡1,520

$3.34 ₡1,505

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,020

$4.54 ₡2,048

-1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 ₡1,095

$1.64 ₡739

48.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₡1,367

$3.16 ₡1,426

-4.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,079

$2.39 ₡1,080

Eggs

$3.44 ₡1,553

$3.47 ₡1,564

-0.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₡4,911

$7.13 ₡3,217

52.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₡4,691

$10.32 ₡4,655

0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.82 ₡6,237

$13.97 ₡6,302

-1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 ₡2,353

$2.29 ₡1,031

127.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡745

$1.62 ₡731

1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,160

$4.81 ₡2,169

-0.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 ₡1,744

$1.68 ₡758

130.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,770

$3.91 ₡1,765

0.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 ₡1,689

$3.63 ₡1,640

3.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡491

$1.13 ₡509

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₡1,401

$2.63 ₡1,188

17.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 ₡2,625

$5.02 ₡2,267

15.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.69 ₡8,883

$19.71 ₡8,893

-0.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 ₡1,286

$2.91 ₡1,314

-2.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 ₡1,600

$3.54 ₡1,597

0.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡620

$1.21 ₡545

13.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 ₡29.7K

$73.8 ₡33.3K

-10.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 ₡787

$2.15 ₡969

-19.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₡730

$1.63 ₡738

-0.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.88 ₡4,008

$8.77 ₡3,958

1.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ₡689

$1.55 ₡700

-1.29%

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

$34.0K ₡15.3M

$33.9K ₡15.3M

0.35%

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

$42.8K ₡19.3M

$38.5K ₡17.4M

11.34%

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

$76.4 ₡34.5K

$95.2 ₡43.0K

-19.81%

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

$32.60 ₡14.7K

$36.29 ₡16.4K

-10.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.89 ₡22.1K

$52.0 ₡23.5K

-6.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 ₡31.0K

$67.6 ₡30.5K

1.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ₡3,394

$7.54 ₡3,404

-0.27%

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

$989 ₡446.2K

$496 ₡224.0K

99.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$11.8K ₡5.3M

45.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 ₡31.8K

$55.1 ₡24.9K

27.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 ₡25.7K

$56.1 ₡25.3K

1.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ₡29.6K

$77.8 ₡35.1K

-15.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.7 ₡24.7K

$79.1 ₡35.7K

-30.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡360.4K

$817 ₡368.9K

-2.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₡283.3K

$806 ₡363.6K

-22.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 ₡859.4K

$3,988 ₡1.8M

-52.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 ₡580.8K

$1,429 ₡644.9K

-9.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,068 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,197 ₡540.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$895 ₡404.0K

$888 ₡400.7K

0.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for San Francisco: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Francisco

$628 37.6%

Nosara

$806 43.7% 28.3% $178

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco

$400 24%

Nosara

$351 19% 12.2% $49

Eating Out

San Francisco

$206 12.4%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 3.4% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco

$158 9.5%

Nosara

$184 9.9% 16.3% $26

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco

$111 6.7%

Nosara

$121 6.5% 8.3% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco

$84 5%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 1.4% $1.2

Getting Around

San Francisco

$81 4.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 9.4% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $799 in San Francisco versus $817 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in San Francisco versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $351 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:54 10:54 AM

Same time as San Francisco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,923

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Francisco Nosara 170 km

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,668 in San Francisco, $1,846 in Nosara – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,503 per month in San Francisco and $2,769 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $799 in San Francisco and $817 in Nosara. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 11% less in San Francisco. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,668 in San Francisco to $1,846 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.