Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Barbara and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Barbara: $1,725 a month against $1,844 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

83

Cost of Living Index in Santa Barbara
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Santa Barbara Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Santa Barbara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,725

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,725 per month in Santa Barbara vs $1,844 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Barbara $1,725
Nosara $1,844

A couple spends around $2,738 per month in Santa Barbara vs $2,817 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Barbara $2,738
Nosara $2,817

A family of three spends $3,750 per month in Santa Barbara vs $3,790 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Barbara $3,750
Nosara $3,790

Santa Barbara is about 6% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Santa Barbara and Nosara sit above the global median – Santa Barbara by 28%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,558

$12.38 ₡5,569

-0.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.2 ₡28.0K

$60.6 ₡27.3K

2.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 ₡5,270

$7.81 ₡3,513

50.06%

Cappuccino

$4.39 ₡1,974

$4.37 ₡1,966

0.46%

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

$2.76 ₡1,241

$1.78 ₡801

55.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₡862

$1.35 ₡605

42.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,523

$3.39 ₡1,526

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,959

$4.31 ₡1,940

1.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 ₡1,093

$1.55 ₡699

56.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₡1,411

$3.17 ₡1,426

-0.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 ₡1,116

$2.51 ₡1,131

-1.20%

Eggs

$3.46 ₡1,557

$3.53 ₡1,585

-1.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 ₡4,828

$7.37 ₡3,314

45.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 ₡4,651

$10.46 ₡4,704

-1.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.93 ₡6,265

$13.91 ₡6,256

0.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ₡2,362

$2.26 ₡1,018

132.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.56 ₡702

1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 ₡2,086

$4.70 ₡2,113

-1.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 ₡1,751

$1.62 ₡729

140.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 ₡1,728

$3.88 ₡1,747

-1.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,671

$3.79 ₡1,704

-1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ₡499

$1.07 ₡481

3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,436

$2.61 ₡1,174

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,696

$5.16 ₡2,319

16.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 ₡9,055

$20.33 ₡9,144

-0.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,249

$2.91 ₡1,310

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 ₡1,580

$3.67 ₡1,651

-4.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.31 ₡588

3.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 ₡1,085

$2.19 ₡984

10.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡734

$1.84 ₡830

-11.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 ₡3,922

$7.81 ₡3,514

11.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡680

$1.56 ₡702

-3.21%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

0.09%

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

$41.6K ₡18.7M

$38.1K ₡17.1M

9.39%

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

$96.6 ₡43.5K

$95.9 ₡43.1K

0.81%

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

$36.11 ₡16.2K

$35.37 ₡15.9K

2.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 ₡27.0K

$53.7 ₡24.1K

11.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 ₡30.6K

$67.5 ₡30.3K

0.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 ₡3,426

$7.72 ₡3,473

-1.30%

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

$967 ₡434.7K

$496 ₡222.9K

95.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

44.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 ₡32.1K

$54.6 ₡24.6K

30.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 ₡25.5K

$55.0 ₡24.7K

3.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.3K

$79.8 ₡35.9K

59.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.8K

$77.9 ₡35.0K

67.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₡366.6K

$817 ₡367.5K

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₡281.8K

$800 ₡359.8K

-21.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,878 ₡844.5K

$3,889 ₡1.7M

-51.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 ₡564.9K

$1,396 ₡627.7K

-10.01%

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 Santa Barbara: November 2, 2026

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Barbara

$627 36.3%

Nosara

$800 43.4% 27.7% $173

Groceries & Markets

Santa Barbara

$402 23.3%

Nosara

$353 19.1% 12.3% $49

Eating Out

Santa Barbara

$231 13.4%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 7.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Barbara

$193 11.2%

Nosara

$185 10% 4.1% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Barbara

$174 10.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 30.8% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Barbara

$83 4.8%

Nosara

$83 4.5% 0.3% $0.3

Getting Around

Santa Barbara

$16 * 0.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 462% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $815 in Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara versus $61 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $353 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Barbara

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

Same time as Santa Barbara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

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

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Santa Barbara Nosara 160 km

From you

Santa Barbara
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 Barbara vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,725 in Santa Barbara, $1,844 in Nosara – Santa Barbara comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,588 per month in Santa Barbara 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 $815 in Santa Barbara and $817 in Nosara. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $967 per month in Santa Barbara 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 $1,725 in Santa Barbara and $1,844 in Nosara. That makes Santa Barbara about 6% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,725 in Santa Barbara 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 $1,725 in Santa Barbara to $1,844 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.