Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $676 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Santa Cruz

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$676

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $676 per month in Santa Cruz vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Cruz $676
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,255 per month in Santa Cruz vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,255
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,834 per month in Santa Cruz vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,834
Nosara $3,712

Santa Cruz is about 63% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santa Cruz sits 50% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 BOB 24.47

$12.22 ₡5,509

-82.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.80 BOB 209

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-70.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 BOB 65.8

$7.54 ₡3,399

-25.86%

Cappuccino

$1.89 BOB 22.26

$4.31 ₡1,941

-56.15%

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

$0.53 BOB 6.24

$1.72 ₡773

-69.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 BOB 5.03

$1.35 ₡608

-68.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 BOB 11.57

$3.24 ₡1,459

-69.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 BOB 15.81

$4.48 ₡2,018

-70.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 BOB 9.63

$1.57 ₡707

-47.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 BOB 12.44

$3.17 ₡1,429

-66.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 BOB 12.84

$2.42 ₡1,091

-54.96%

Eggs

$1.13 BOB 13.27

$3.57 ₡1,609

-68.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.43 BOB 40.41

$7.43 ₡3,349

-53.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.77 BOB 32.58

$10.42 ₡4,697

-73.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.29 BOB 62.3

$13.66 ₡6,156

-61.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 BOB 22.26

$2.32 ₡1,044

-18.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 BOB 7.99

$1.61 ₡728

-57.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 BOB 9.47

$4.74 ₡2,138

-83.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 BOB 9.14

$1.66 ₡747

-53.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 BOB 8.73

$3.72 ₡1,679

-80.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 BOB 8.19

$3.57 ₡1,611

-80.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 BOB 7.51

$1.10 ₡497

-41.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BOB 8.57

$2.55 ₡1,149

-71.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 BOB 24.40

$4.95 ₡2,232

-58.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.44 BOB 52.2

$20.01 ₡9,020

-77.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BOB 13.56

$2.79 ₡1,256

-58.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 BOB 19.54

$3.53 ₡1,589

-52.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 BOB 3.31

$1.19 ₡537

-76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.41 BOB 287

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-66.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 BOB 21.60

$2.24 ₡1,011

-17.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 BOB 11.67

$1.55 ₡701

-36.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 BOB 80.0

$8.86 ₡3,993

-23.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 BOB 7.65

$1.57 ₡708

-58.60%

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

$14.7K BOB 173.5K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-32.41%

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

$20.6K BOB 242.4K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-40.55%

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

$38.52 BOB 453

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-58.78%

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

$20.51 BOB 241

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-41.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.97 BOB 223

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-63.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.99 BOB 247

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-70.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.61 BOB 160

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-61.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 BOB 75.1

$7.84 ₡3,535

-18.62%

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

$120 BOB 1,416

$490 ₡220.7K

-75.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,216 BOB 37.9K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-72.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.21 BOB 344

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-45.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.59 BOB 442

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-32.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 BOB 848

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-9.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 BOB 730

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-21.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 BOB 3,258

$786 ₡354.3K

-64.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 BOB 3,005

$780 ₡351.6K

-67.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 BOB 10.7K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-76.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 BOB 10.3K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-37.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,342 BOB 15.8K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-80.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$750 BOB 8,822

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-37.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 BOB 3,553

$876 ₡395.0K

-65.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

8.62

-28.42%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz

$255 37.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 205% $525

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

$121 17.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 189% $228

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$90 13.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 33.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$78 11.5%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 131% $102

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$68 10%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 210% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$34 5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 158% $53

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$32 4.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 169% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Santa Cruz 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 190% higher in Nosara, 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 $18.00 in Santa Cruz versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $121 vs $350 – making Santa Cruz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇴 Santa Cruz

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

01:59 1:59 AM

2 h behind Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,800,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 BOB = 8.5 USD

100 BOB = 7.58 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BOB – Bolivian Boliviano Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇴 Bolivian Boliviano (Bs.)

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.77 BOB (100 BOB = 8.5 USD). 1 EUR = 13.2 BOB (100 BOB = 7.58 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BOB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz Nosara 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $676 in Santa Cruz, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 172% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,014 per month in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 195% less in Santa Cruz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $120 per month in Santa Cruz and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $676, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Santa Cruz 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 $676 in Santa Cruz to $1,837 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 Cruz. 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.