Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Marino and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marino: $1,146 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

San Marino
🇸🇲 San Marino
$1,146
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,146 per month in San Marino vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • San Marino $1,146
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,613 per month in San Marino vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • San Marino $1,613
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,080 per month in San Marino vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • San Marino $2,080
  • Nosara $3,712

San Marino is about 38% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Marino sits 14% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Marino
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$12.22 ₡5,509
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.2 €79.6
$60.2 ₡27.1K
48.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.02 €8.04
$7.54 ₡3,399
19.63%
Cappuccino
$1.64 €1.46
$4.31 ₡1,941
-61.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 €2.01
$1.72 ₡773
30.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.35 ₡608
-2.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.75 €5.13
$3.24 ₡1,459
77.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.77 €6.04
$4.48 ₡2,018
51.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Marino
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
-
$1.57 ₡707
-
White Bread (500g)
-
$3.17 ₡1,429
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$2.42 ₡1,091
-
Eggs
-
$3.57 ₡1,609
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$7.43 ₡3,349
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$10.42 ₡4,697
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$13.66 ₡6,156
-
Apples (1kg)
-
$2.32 ₡1,044
-
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.61 ₡728
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$4.74 ₡2,138
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$1.66 ₡747
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$3.72 ₡1,679
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$3.57 ₡1,611
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.10 ₡497
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.55 ₡1,149
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.95 ₡2,232
-
Wine (Bottle)
-
$20.01 ₡9,020
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.79 ₡1,256
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.53 ₡1,589
-
🚌 Getting Around
San Marino
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.19 ₡537
37.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.57 €25.47
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-60.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$10.94 €9.76
$2.24 ₡1,011
388.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.55 ₡701
-6.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.08 €22.36
$8.86 ₡3,993
183.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.77 €1.58
$1.57 ₡708
12.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$21.8K ₡9.8M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Marino
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$112 €100
$93.5 ₡42.1K
20.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.36 €29.74
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-35.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Marino
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.71 €24.71
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-21.81%
Cinema Ticket
-
$7.84 ₡3,535
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Marino
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$490 ₡220.7K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Marino
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.2 €68.8
$53.5 ₡24.1K
44.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.34 €29.73
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-40.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$79.3 ₡35.7K
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$56.9 €50.7
$78.9 ₡35.6K
-27.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Marino
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$789 €703
$786 ₡354.3K
0.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$795 €709
$780 ₡351.6K
1.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,025 €914
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-73.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 €917
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-26.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,201 ₡541.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Marino
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,794 €3,382
$876 ₡395.0K
332.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
8.62
-

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

Last update for San Marino: 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 Marino
–
Nosara
$780
Groceries & Markets
San Marino
–
Nosara
$350
Eating Out
San Marino
–
Nosara
$209
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Marino
–
Nosara
$180
Clothing & Footwear
San Marino
–
Nosara
$120
Sport & Entertainment
San Marino
–
Nosara
$87
Getting Around
San Marino
–
Nosara
$87

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $789 in San Marino 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 333% higher in San Marino, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in San Marino versus $60.0 in Nosara. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know
🇸🇲 San Marino
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
10:05 10:05 AM
02:05 2:05 AM
8 h behind San Marino
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,000 Capital
4,912
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Marino Nosara 9,880 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Marino
  • 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 Marino vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in San Marino and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,146 in San Marino, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in San Marino compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,720 per month in San Marino and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between San Marino and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Marino, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in San Marino and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: San Marino or Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,146 in San Marino and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 60%.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Marino, where all-in costs run around $1,146, than in Nosara at $1,837. In San Marino it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between San Marino and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,146 in San Marino to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is San Marino or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between San Marino and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with San Marino. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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