Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in San Rafael: $1,318 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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San Rafael

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,318

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,318 per month in San Rafael vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

San Rafael $1,318
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,096 per month in San Rafael vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

San Rafael $2,096
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,875 per month in San Rafael vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

San Rafael $2,875
Nosara $3,712

San Rafael is about 28% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

San Rafael sits 2% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.20 ARS 17.0K

$12.22 ₡5,509

-8.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.65 ARS 75.3K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-17.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.69 ARS 22.3K

$7.54 ₡3,399

94.83%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ARS 6,580

$4.31 ₡1,941

0.70%

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

$2.42 ARS 3,663

$1.72 ₡773

40.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ARS 3,006

$1.35 ₡608

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 ARS 5,969

$3.24 ₡1,459

21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ARS 6,701

$4.48 ₡2,018

-1.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 ARS 2,046

$1.57 ₡707

-14.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 ARS 3,435

$3.17 ₡1,429

-28.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 ARS 4,052

$2.42 ₡1,091

10.33%

Eggs

$3.18 ARS 4,820

$3.57 ₡1,609

-10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.56 ARS 22.1K

$7.43 ₡3,349

95.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 ARS 9,418

$10.42 ₡4,697

-40.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ARS 16.9K

$13.66 ₡6,156

-18.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ARS 3,604

$2.32 ₡1,044

2.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ARS 3,347

$1.61 ₡728

37.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ARS 2,048

$4.74 ₡2,138

-71.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 ARS 5,012

$1.66 ₡747

98.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 3,055

$3.72 ₡1,679

-45.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,203

$3.57 ₡1,611

-59.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 ARS 2,935

$1.10 ₡497

76.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 ARS 3,725

$2.55 ₡1,149

-3.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ARS 4,279

$4.95 ₡2,232

-43.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.05 ARS 7,656

$20.01 ₡9,020

-74.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,625

$2.79 ₡1,256

-37.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ARS 4,619

$3.53 ₡1,589

-13.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ARS 1,513

$1.19 ₡537

-15.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ARS 2,966

$2.24 ₡1,011

-12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,540

$1.55 ₡701

-34.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 ARS 7,412

$8.86 ₡3,993

-44.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ARS 1,929

$1.57 ₡708

-19.11%

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

$26.6K ARS 40.4M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

22.22%

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

$32.6K ARS 49.4M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-5.92%

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

$135 ARS 205.3K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

44.85%

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

$17.43 ARS 26.4K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-50.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.44 ARS 35.6K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-54.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 ARS 47.3K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-56.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 ARS 10.5K

$7.84 ₡3,535

-11.86%

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

$177 ARS 268.1K

$490 ₡220.7K

-63.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,090 ARS 6.2M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-65.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 ARS 175.9K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

116.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$125 ARS 188.9K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

123.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 ARS 206.8K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

72.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ARS 189.8K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

58.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ARS 740.9K

$786 ₡354.3K

-37.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 ARS 482.7K

$780 ₡351.6K

-59.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 ARS 1.4M

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-75.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 ARS 1.1M

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-48.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

584.45%

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

Last update for San Rafael: 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 Rafael

$318 24.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 145% $462

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael

$286 22.1%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 22.3% $64

Eating Out

San Rafael

$232 17.9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 9.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael

$226 17.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 46.7% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael

$176 13.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 2.2% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael

$45 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 93.4% $42

Getting Around

San Rafael

$11 * 0.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 688% $76

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in San Rafael 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in San Rafael versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $350 – making San Rafael the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 San Rafael

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

00:40 12:40 AM

3 h behind San Rafael

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

118,850

4,912

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 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).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Rafael Nosara 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,318 in San Rafael, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,978 per month in San Rafael 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 San Rafael, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in San Rafael and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Rafael, where all-in costs run around $1,318, than in Nosara at $1,837. In San Rafael it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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 $1,318 in San Rafael to $1,837 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.

If budget matters most, go with San Rafael. 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.