Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Ana, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,497 in Santa Ana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana, CA
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Santa Ana, CA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Santa Ana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,497

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,497 per month in Santa Ana, CA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Ana, CA $3,497
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $5,006 per month in Santa Ana, CA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Ana, CA $5,006
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $6,515 per month in Santa Ana, CA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Ana, CA $6,515
Nosara $3,712

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

Both Santa Ana, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Santa Ana, CA by 161%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.22 $23.22

$12.22 ₡5,509

90.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$60.2 ₡27.1K

31.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.25 $16.25

$7.54 ₡3,399

115.52%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$4.31 ₡1,941

35.27%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.72 ₡773

76.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.35 ₡608

75.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 $7.33

$3.24 ₡1,459

126.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.28 $9.28

$4.48 ₡2,018

107.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.57 ₡707

-32.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.17 ₡1,429

26.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.42 ₡1,091

91.74%

Eggs

$5.67 $5.67

$3.57 ₡1,609

58.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 $12.87

$7.43 ₡3,349

73.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.61 $16.61

$10.42 ₡4,697

59.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.30 $21.30

$13.66 ₡6,156

55.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.32 ₡1,044

108.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.61 ₡728

6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.74 ₡2,138

-17.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$1.66 ₡747

238.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.72 ₡1,679

-2.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.57 ₡1,611

-12.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.10 ₡497

98.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.55 ₡1,149

-24.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.93 $11.93

$4.95 ₡2,232

141.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$20.01 ₡9,020

-23.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.79 ₡1,256

-11.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.53 ₡1,589

14.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.19 ₡537

65.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 $68.2

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-5.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.24 ₡1,011

171.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.99 $4.99

$1.55 ₡701

221.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.09 $49.09

$8.86 ₡3,993

454.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.57 ₡708

-5.10%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

72.97%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-22.54%

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

$176 $176

$93.5 ₡42.1K

87.82%

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

$68.0 $68.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

93.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 $73.7

$51.5 ₡23.2K

43.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 $57.3

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-19.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.52 $44.52

$35.44 ₡16.0K

25.62%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 $15.38

$7.84 ₡3,535

96.17%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$490 ₡220.7K

142.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 $63.1

$53.5 ₡24.1K

17.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 $42.41

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-23.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$79.3 ₡35.7K

31.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$78.9 ₡35.6K

81.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 $2,696

$786 ₡354.3K

242.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 $2,026

$780 ₡351.6K

159.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,207 $3,207

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-16.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,173 $3,173

$1,407 ₡634.4K

125.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,585 $4,585

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-34.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,374 $4,374

$1,201 ₡541.3K

264.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,154 $3,154

$876 ₡395.0K

259.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

8.62

-25.87%

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

Last update for Santa Ana, CA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Ana, CA

$2K 57.3%

Nosara

$780 43% 61.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Ana, CA

$456 12.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 23.3% $106

Eating Out

Santa Ana, CA

$381 10.8%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 45.1% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Ana, CA

$317 9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 43.2% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Ana, CA

$159 4.5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 24.2% $38

Getting Around

Santa Ana, CA

$107 3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 18.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Ana, CA

$88 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1.1% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,696 in Santa Ana, CA 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 260% higher in Santa Ana, 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 $79.0 in Santa Ana, CA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $456 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Ana, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

22:46 10:46 PM

1 h ahead of Santa Ana, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

335,400

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Ana, CA Nosara 4,210 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Ana, 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

Santa Ana, CA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,497 in Santa Ana, CA, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 90% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,246 per month in Santa Ana, CA 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 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 6% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,187 per month in Santa Ana, CA and $490 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 $1,837, than in Santa Ana, CA at $3,497. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Ana, 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $3,497 in Santa Ana, 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, Santa Ana, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.