Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Clara and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Clara: $952 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Santa Clara

🇨🇺 Cuba

$952

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $952 per month in Santa Clara vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Clara $952
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,432 per month in Santa Clara vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Clara $1,432
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,912 per month in Santa Clara vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Clara $1,912
Nosara $3,818

Santa Clara is about 48% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Santa Clara sits 29% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 CUP 88.0

$12.35 ₡5,539

-70.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.41 CUP 658

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-55.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 CUP 118

$7.52 ₡3,373

-34.84%

Cappuccino

$1.05 CUP 25.15

$4.41 ₡1,978

-76.19%

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

$1.53 CUP 36.75

$1.74 ₡780

-12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 CUP 21.99

$1.31 ₡587

-29.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 CUP 29.56

$3.28 ₡1,471

-62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CUP 49.31

$4.47 ₡2,004

-54.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.82 CUP 67.7

$1.56 ₡701

80.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 CUP 27.94

$3.02 ₡1,355

-61.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 CUP 41.16

$2.51 ₡1,125

-31.47%

Eggs

$3.48 CUP 83.5

$3.57 ₡1,603

-2.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.55 CUP 109

$7.43 ₡3,333

-38.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 CUP 114

$10.52 ₡4,717

-54.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.66 CUP 208

$13.97 ₡6,265

-38.01%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 CUP 147

$2.35 ₡1,052

160.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 CUP 25.38

$1.61 ₡720

-34.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 CUP 96.0

$4.80 ₡2,152

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 CUP 54.7

$1.61 ₡724

41.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 CUP 69.7

$3.80 ₡1,703

-23.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 CUP 66.2

$3.69 ₡1,657

-25.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 CUP 16.06

$1.13 ₡507

-40.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 CUP 12.80

$2.66 ₡1,191

-80.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 CUP 40.57

$5.18 ₡2,321

-67.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.24 CUP 126

$19.88 ₡8,916

-73.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CUP 40.90

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CUP 49.14

$3.63 ₡1,626

-43.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 CUP 60.9

$2.14 ₡958

18.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 CUP 8.08

$1.57 ₡703

-78.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.04 CUP 481

$8.52 ₡3,823

135.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CUP 30.61

$1.52 ₡682

-15.79%

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

$59.0K CUP 1.4M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

173.15%

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

$61.2K CUP 1.5M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

77.26%

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

$47.01 CUP 1,128

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-51.18%

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

$38.40 CUP 922

$35.89 ₡16.1K

6.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.5 CUP 2,172

$53.6 ₡24.0K

68.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$0.84 CUP 20.05

$7.89 ₡3,539

-89.35%

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

$157 CUP 3,757

$494 ₡221.6K

-68.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K CUP 296.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

4.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 CUP 1,231

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-4.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.95 CUP 1,007

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 CUP 1,945

$77.9 ₡34.9K

3.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.4 CUP 1,595

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-16.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 CUP 8,260

$788 ₡353.4K

-56.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 CUP 8,413

$794 ₡356.2K

-55.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 CUP 17.7K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 CUP 14.4K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-57.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$277 CUP 6,646

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-95.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$293 CUP 7,037

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-76.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

8.62

5.57%

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

Last update for Santa Clara: 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

$351 36.8%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 127% $444

Groceries & Markets

Santa Clara

$235 24.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 50.1% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Clara

$176 18.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 5.6% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Clara

$108 11.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 10.9% $12

Eating Out

Santa Clara

$77 8.1%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 176% $135

Getting Around

Santa Clara

$4.2 * 0.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 1964% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Clara

$1.7 * 0.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 5132% $86

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $344 in Santa Clara 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Santa Clara versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $352 – making Santa Clara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Santa Clara

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

12:19 12:19 PM

2 h behind Santa Clara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

216,056

4,912

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Clara Nosara 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Clara
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Monthly costs with rent: $952 in Santa Clara, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 93% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,428 per month in Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara, 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 $27.00 in Santa Clara and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% 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 Santa Clara, where all-in costs run around $952, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Santa Clara 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 $952 in Santa Clara to $1,839 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 Santa Clara. 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.