Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $4,316 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,316

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,316 per month in Santa Cruz, CA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Cruz, CA $4,316
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $6,246 per month in Santa Cruz, CA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Cruz, CA $6,246
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $8,177 per month in Santa Cruz, CA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Cruz, CA $8,177
Nosara $3,712

Santa Cruz, CA costs about 135% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Santa Cruz, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Santa Cruz, CA by 222%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$12.22 ₡5,509

104.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 $99.7

$60.2 ₡27.1K

65.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.73 $14.73

$7.54 ₡3,399

95.36%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$4.31 ₡1,941

35.27%

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

$3.46 $3.46

$1.72 ₡773

101.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.35 ₡608

79.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.24 ₡1,459

152.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$4.48 ₡2,018

79.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.57 ₡707

-11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.17 ₡1,429

49.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$2.42 ₡1,091

222.73%

Eggs

$6.37 $6.37

$3.57 ₡1,609

78.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.58 $26.58

$7.43 ₡3,349

257.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.84 $16.84

$10.42 ₡4,697

61.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.62 $17.62

$13.66 ₡6,156

28.99%

Apples (1kg)

$7.78 $7.78

$2.32 ₡1,044

235.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.61 ₡728

40.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.80 $8.80

$4.74 ₡2,138

85.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$1.66 ₡747

298.19%

Potato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$3.72 ₡1,679

20.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.57 ₡1,611

-15.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.10 ₡497

363.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.55 ₡1,149

16.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.82 $11.82

$4.95 ₡2,232

138.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.49 $25.49

$20.01 ₡9,020

27.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.79 ₡1,256

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.53 ₡1,589

-7.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.19 ₡537

67.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-10.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.24 ₡1,011

46.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.55 ₡701

59.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.30 $39.30

$8.86 ₡3,993

343.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.57 ₡708

-1.91%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

69.93%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-24.16%

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

$373 $373

$93.5 ₡42.1K

299.61%

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

$57.8 $57.8

$35.11 ₡15.8K

64.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$51.5 ₡23.2K

32.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.0 $78.0

$71.4 ₡32.2K

9.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.74 $12.74

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-64.05%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 $15.71

$7.84 ₡3,535

100.38%

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

$2,499 $2,499

$490 ₡220.7K

410.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.6K $29.6K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

148.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 $68.0

$53.5 ₡24.1K

26.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.64 $48.64

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-12.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 $93.4

$79.3 ₡35.7K

17.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 $158

$78.9 ₡35.6K

100.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,049 $3,049

$786 ₡354.3K

287.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 $2,524

$780 ₡351.6K

223.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,860 $4,860

$3,860 ₡1.7M

25.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,160 $4,160

$1,407 ₡634.4K

195.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,227 $8,227

$6,972 ₡3.1M

18.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K $11.3K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

844.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,485 $5,485

$876 ₡395.0K

525.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

8.62

-24.94%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz, CA: October 3, 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, CA

$2.5K 57.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 69.1% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz, CA

$599 13.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 41.7% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz, CA

$500 11.4%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 64% $320

Eating Out

Santa Cruz, CA

$394 9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 46.9% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz, CA

$166 3.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 27.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz, CA

$109 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 20.4% $22

Getting Around

Santa Cruz, CA

$88 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1.4% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,049 in Santa Cruz, 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 526% higher in Santa Cruz, 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 $100 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $599 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

22:47 10:47 PM

1 h ahead of Santa Cruz, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,220

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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Santa Cruz, CA Nosara 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,316 in Santa Cruz, CA, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 135% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,474 per month in Santa Cruz, 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 12% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,499 per month in Santa Cruz, 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 Cruz, CA at $4,316. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Cruz, 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 $4,316 in Santa Cruz, 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 Cruz, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.