Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Clara, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA, rent and utilities included – about $28,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Santa Clara, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,189

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,189 per month in Santa Clara, CA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Clara, CA $4,189
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $5,899 per month in Santa Clara, CA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Clara, CA $5,899
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $7,608 per month in Santa Clara, CA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Clara, CA $7,608
Nosara $3,818

Santa Clara, CA costs about 128% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Clara, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Santa Clara, CA by 210%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.66 $24.66

$12.35 ₡5,539

99.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$61.2 ₡27.4K

81.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$7.52 ₡3,373

58.24%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$4.41 ₡1,978

30.39%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$1.74 ₡780

75.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.31 ₡587

83.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$3.28 ₡1,471

136.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$4.47 ₡2,004

81.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.56 ₡701

-18.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.02 ₡1,355

39.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$2.51 ₡1,125

88.05%

Eggs

$5.46 $5.46

$3.57 ₡1,603

52.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.69 $24.69

$7.43 ₡3,333

232.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 $11.90

$10.52 ₡4,717

13.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$13.97 ₡6,265

-7.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.35 ₡1,052

136.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.61 ₡720

46.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$4.80 ₡2,152

1.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$1.61 ₡724

259.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.80 ₡1,703

-13.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.69 ₡1,657

-17.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.13 ₡507

170.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.66 ₡1,191

3.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.65 $7.65

$5.18 ₡2,321

47.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 $13.09

$19.88 ₡8,916

-34.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.63 ₡1,626

-30.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.12 ₡504

160.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 $89.3

$72.6 ₡32.6K

22.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.14 ₡958

52.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.57 ₡703

57.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.36 $39.36

$8.52 ₡3,823

361.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.52 ₡682

-1.32%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

73.54%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.27%

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

$191 $191

$96.3 ₡43.2K

98.86%

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

$39.17 $39.17

$35.89 ₡16.1K

9.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 $62.9

$53.6 ₡24.0K

17.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.3 $98.3

$71.6 ₡32.1K

37.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 $14.14

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-59.50%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 $16.13

$7.89 ₡3,539

104.44%

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

$2,693 $2,693

$494 ₡221.6K

445.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.4K $37.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

215.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.79 $40.79

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-26.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 $76.5

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-1.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 $59.8

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-24.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,946 $2,946

$788 ₡353.4K

273.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 $2,708

$794 ₡356.2K

240.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,427 $4,427

$3,939 ₡1.8M

12.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,153 $4,153

$1,419 ₡636.5K

192.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,978 $8,978

$6,912 ₡3.1M

29.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,900 $8,900

$1,224 ₡549.0K

627.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,229 $8,229

$864 ₡387.3K

852.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

8.62

-21.46%

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

Last update for Santa Clara, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Clara, CA

$2.7K 64.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 70.7% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Clara, CA

$459 11%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 23.3% $107

Eating Out

Santa Clara, CA

$379 9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 44.1% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Clara, CA

$294 7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 36.7% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Clara, CA

$131 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 33.1% $43

Getting Around

Santa Clara, CA

$117 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 25.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Clara, CA

$103 2.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 17.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,946 in Santa Clara, CA versus $788 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 853% higher in Santa Clara, 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 $111 in Santa Clara, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $459 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Clara, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:59 7:59 PM

20:59 8:59 PM

1 h ahead of Santa Clara, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,365

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Clara, CA Nosara 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 128% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,284 per month in Santa Clara, CA and $2,758 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 23% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,693 per month in Santa Clara, CA and $494 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 $1,839, than in Santa Clara, CA at $4,189. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Clara, 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $4,189 in Santa Clara, 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 Clara, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.