Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Jose and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $1,938 in San Jose, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in San Jose despite lower rent and utilities.

94

Cost of Living Index in San Jose
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San Jose Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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San Jose

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,938

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in San Jose vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

San Jose $1,938
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in San Jose vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

San Jose $2,936
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,934 per month in San Jose vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

San Jose $3,934
Nosara $3,818

San Jose costs about 5% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both San Jose and Nosara sit above the global median – San Jose by 44%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,551

$12.35 ₡5,539

0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 ₡27.3K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-0.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 ₡5,135

$7.52 ₡3,373

52.26%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,967

$4.41 ₡1,978

-0.45%

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

$2.70 ₡1,211

$1.74 ₡780

55.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡864

$1.31 ₡587

47.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ₡1,433

$3.28 ₡1,471

-2.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₡1,979

$4.47 ₡2,004

-1.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 ₡1,093

$1.56 ₡701

56.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 ₡1,369

$3.02 ₡1,355

0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$2.51 ₡1,125

-3.98%

Eggs

$3.40 ₡1,523

$3.57 ₡1,603

-4.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.75 ₡4,823

$7.43 ₡3,333

44.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 ₡4,679

$10.52 ₡4,717

-0.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 ₡6,273

$13.97 ₡6,265

0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,353

$2.35 ₡1,052

123.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡712

$1.61 ₡720

-1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 ₡2,103

$4.80 ₡2,152

-2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,770

$1.61 ₡724

145.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 ₡1,760

$3.80 ₡1,703

3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 ₡1,651

$3.69 ₡1,657

-0.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.13 ₡507

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,429

$2.66 ₡1,191

19.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,692

$5.18 ₡2,321

15.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.56 ₡8,771

$19.88 ₡8,916

-1.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.90 ₡1,300

-2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₡1,611

$3.63 ₡1,626

-1.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡503

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 ₡30.0K

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-8.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,119

$2.14 ₡958

16.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡733

$1.57 ₡703

3.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,812

$8.52 ₡3,823

-0.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.52 ₡682

2.63%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

3.70%

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

$35.6K ₡16.0M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

3.09%

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

$95.2 ₡42.7K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-1.11%

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

$35.58 ₡16.0K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-0.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.3K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

9.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.7 ₡32.6K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

1.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.85 ₡11.1K

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-28.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 ₡3,401

$7.89 ₡3,539

-3.93%

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

$1,001 ₡449.0K

$494 ₡221.6K

102.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

44.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

30.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.0K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

0.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.2K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

66.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.7K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

64.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 ₡415.8K

$788 ₡353.4K

17.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₡347.2K

$794 ₡356.2K

-2.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 ₡882.0K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-50.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 ₡577.6K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-9.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,274 ₡1.0M

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-67.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,831 ₡821.0K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

49.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,016 ₡455.8K

$864 ₡387.3K

17.69%

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 Jose: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Jose

$774 40%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 2.6% $20

Groceries & Markets

San Jose

$401 20.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 12.2% $49

Eating Out

San Jose

$229 11.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 7.6% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose

$189 9.8%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 1.9% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose

$174 9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 31% $54

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose

$88 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 0.5% $0.5

Getting Around

San Jose

$82 4.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 6.3% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $927 in San Jose 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 18% higher in San Jose, 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 $61.0 in San Jose versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in San Jose vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Jose

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

Same time as San Jose

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,188 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Jose Nosara 170 km

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,938 in San Jose, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in San Jose 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 9% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,001 per month in San Jose 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 Jose at $1,938. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose 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 $1,938 in San Jose. 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 Jose makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.