Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Luis Obispo, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,487 in San Luis Obispo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in San Luis Obispo, CA
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San Luis Obispo, CA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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San Luis Obispo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,487

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,487 per month in San Luis Obispo, CA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

San Luis Obispo, CA $3,487
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $5,130 per month in San Luis Obispo, CA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

San Luis Obispo, CA $5,130
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $6,774 per month in San Luis Obispo, CA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

San Luis Obispo, CA $6,774
Nosara $3,818

San Luis Obispo, CA costs about 90% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Luis Obispo, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – San Luis Obispo, CA by 158%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.03 $24.03

$12.35 ₡5,539

94.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.9 $58.9

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-3.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 $13.25

$7.52 ₡3,373

76.20%

Cappuccino

$6.26 $6.26

$4.41 ₡1,978

41.95%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$1.74 ₡780

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.31 ₡587

89.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$3.28 ₡1,471

142.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$4.47 ₡2,004

76.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.56 ₡701

-28.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.02 ₡1,355

42.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.51 ₡1,125

120.72%

Eggs

$4.72 $4.72

$3.57 ₡1,603

32.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 $15.24

$7.43 ₡3,333

105.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$10.52 ₡4,717

-17.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.43 $15.43

$13.97 ₡6,265

10.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.35 ₡1,052

62.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.61 ₡720

23.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$4.80 ₡2,152

-31.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.61 ₡724

109.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.80 ₡1,703

-26.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.69 ₡1,657

-24.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.13 ₡507

91.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.66 ₡1,191

-27.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 $11.55

$5.18 ₡2,321

122.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.97 $16.97

$19.88 ₡8,916

-14.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.90 ₡1,300

-36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.63 ₡1,626

-13.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.12 ₡504

72.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 $60.1

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-17.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 $6.37

$2.14 ₡958

197.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.57 ₡703

74.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.64 $37.64

$8.52 ₡3,823

341.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.52 ₡682

-4.61%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

70.05%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.63%

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

$249 $249

$96.3 ₡43.2K

158.18%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

50.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$53.6 ₡24.0K

29.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.89 $42.89

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-40.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.6 $50.6

$34.91 ₡15.7K

44.86%

Cinema Ticket

$12.47 $12.47

$7.89 ₡3,539

58.05%

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

$2,345 $2,345

$494 ₡221.6K

374.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K $34.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

191.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 $67.4

$53.9 ₡24.2K

24.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.73 $49.73

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-10.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$77.9 ₡34.9K

37.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 $98.5

$79.6 ₡35.7K

23.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,635 $2,635

$788 ₡353.4K

234.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 $2,042

$794 ₡356.2K

157.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,972 $4,972

$3,939 ₡1.8M

26.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,709 $3,709

$1,419 ₡636.5K

161.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,383 $7,383

$6,912 ₡3.1M

6.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,795 $6,795

$1,224 ₡549.0K

455.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,553 $5,553

$864 ₡387.3K

543.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.26

8.62

-27.38%

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

Last update for San Luis Obispo, 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 Luis Obispo, CA

$2K 58.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 61.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

San Luis Obispo, CA

$387 11.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 9% $35

Eating Out

San Luis Obispo, CA

$384 11%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 44.9% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Luis Obispo, CA

$372 10.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 50.1% $186

Clothing & Footwear

San Luis Obispo, CA

$145 4.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.4% $25

Getting Around

San Luis Obispo, CA

$88 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 0.9% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

San Luis Obispo, CA

$68 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 28.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,635 in San Luis Obispo, 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 543% higher in San Luis Obispo, 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 $59.0 in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $387 in San Luis Obispo, CA vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Luis Obispo, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:09 9:09 PM

22:09 10:09 PM

1 h ahead of San Luis Obispo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,339

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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 Luis Obispo, CA Nosara 4,520 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,487 in San Luis Obispo, CA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 90% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,230 per month in San Luis Obispo, 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 21% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,345 per month in San Luis Obispo, 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 Luis Obispo, CA at $3,487. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Luis Obispo, 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 $3,487 in San Luis Obispo, 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 Luis Obispo, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.