Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael, Costa Rica and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in San Rafael: $1,718 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

83

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
Learn more

San Rafael Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

San Rafael

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,718

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/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 $1,718 per month in San Rafael vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

San Rafael $1,718
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $2,741 per month in San Rafael vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

San Rafael $2,741
Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $3,765 per month in San Rafael vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

San Rafael $3,765
Nosara $3,790

San Rafael is about 7% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Rafael and Nosara sit above the global median – San Rafael by 27%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.45 ₡5,597

$12.38 ₡5,569

0.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡28.0K

$60.6 ₡27.3K

2.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 ₡5,315

$7.81 ₡3,513

51.34%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,951

$4.37 ₡1,966

-0.69%

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

$2.61 ₡1,174

$1.78 ₡801

46.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₡866

$1.35 ₡605

42.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 ₡1,484

$3.39 ₡1,526

-2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 ₡2,007

$4.31 ₡1,940

3.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₡1,039

$1.55 ₡699

49.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₡1,375

$3.17 ₡1,426

-3.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ₡1,074

$2.51 ₡1,131

-4.78%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.53 ₡1,585

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 ₡4,813

$7.37 ₡3,314

45.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,772

$10.46 ₡4,704

1.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 ₡6,232

$13.91 ₡6,256

-0.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 ₡2,301

$2.26 ₡1,018

126.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡717

$1.56 ₡702

2.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 ₡2,197

$4.70 ₡2,113

4.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 ₡1,718

$1.62 ₡729

135.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,671

$3.88 ₡1,747

-4.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,666

$3.79 ₡1,704

-2.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡509

$1.07 ₡481

5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₡1,439

$2.61 ₡1,174

22.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,696

$5.16 ₡2,319

16.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 ₡8,846

$20.33 ₡9,144

-3.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 ₡1,291

$2.91 ₡1,310

-1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 ₡1,595

$3.67 ₡1,651

-3.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡607

$1.31 ₡588

3.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 ₡1,107

$2.19 ₡984

12.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₡728

$1.84 ₡830

-11.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 ₡3,978

$7.81 ₡3,514

13.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

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

$33.9K ₡15.3M

$33.4K ₡15.0M

1.55%

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

$42.2K ₡19.0M

$38.1K ₡17.1M

10.90%

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

$96.5 ₡43.4K

$95.9 ₡43.1K

0.67%

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

$35.72 ₡16.1K

$35.37 ₡15.9K

0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 ₡26.9K

$53.7 ₡24.1K

11.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ₡30.7K

$67.5 ₡30.3K

1.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 ₡3,478

$7.72 ₡3,473

0.13%

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

$985 ₡442.8K

$496 ₡222.9K

98.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

42.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 ₡32.5K

$54.6 ₡24.6K

32.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 ₡25.6K

$55.0 ₡24.7K

3.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡56.9K

$79.8 ₡35.9K

58.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.6K

$77.9 ₡35.0K

70.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 ₡357.3K

$817 ₡367.5K

-2.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 ₡279.3K

$800 ₡359.8K

-22.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 ₡849.2K

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-51.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 ₡571.8K

$1,396 ₡627.7K

-8.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.4K

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 Rafael: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael

$621 36.1%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 28.8% $179

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael

$400 23.3%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 11.9% $48

Eating Out

San Rafael

$231 13.4%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 7.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael

$192 11.2%

Nosara

$185 10% 3.7% $7

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael

$175 10.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 31.2% $54

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael

$84 4.9%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 1.1% $0.9

Getting Around

San Rafael

$16 * 0.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 463% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $795 in San Rafael 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 Rafael versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $353 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Rafael

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

Same time as San Rafael

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,000

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 Rafael Nosara 170 km

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: $1,718 in San Rafael, $1,844 in Nosara – San Rafael comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,577 per month in San Rafael and $2,765 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 $795 in San Rafael and $817 in Nosara. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $985 per month in San Rafael and $496 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,718 in San Rafael and $1,844 in Nosara. That makes San Rafael about 7% cheaper.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,718 in San Rafael and $1,844 in Nosara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,718 in San Rafael to $1,844 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.