Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Fe: $1,071 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe
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Santa Fe Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Santa Fe

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,071

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,071 per month in Santa Fe vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Fe $1,071
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,655 per month in Santa Fe vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Fe $1,655
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,239 per month in Santa Fe vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Fe $2,239
Nosara $3,818

Santa Fe is about 42% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santa Fe sits 21% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.93 ARS 15.1K

$12.35 ₡5,556

-19.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.60 ARS 57.0K

$61.2 ₡27.5K

-38.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.68 ARS 19.2K

$7.52 ₡3,383

68.62%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ARS 2,556

$4.41 ₡1,984

-61.68%

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

$1.55 ARS 2,348

$1.74 ₡782

-10.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 ARS 2,020

$1.31 ₡589

1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 ARS 5,208

$3.28 ₡1,475

4.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 ARS 7,572

$4.47 ₡2,010

11.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 ARS 1,526

$1.56 ₡703

-35.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ARS 2,481

$3.02 ₡1,359

-45.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ARS 1,572

$2.51 ₡1,129

-58.57%

Eggs

$1.54 ARS 2,341

$3.57 ₡1,608

-56.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 ARS 13.0K

$7.43 ₡3,344

15.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.07 ARS 9,200

$10.52 ₡4,732

-42.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ARS 16.2K

$13.97 ₡6,284

-23.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,016

$2.35 ₡1,055

-15.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ARS 2,298

$1.61 ₡722

-5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 ARS 1,316

$4.80 ₡2,159

-81.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 ARS 3,602

$1.61 ₡726

47.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 ARS 867

$3.80 ₡1,708

-85.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ARS 955

$3.69 ₡1,662

-82.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ARS 1,553

$1.13 ₡508

-9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ARS 1,546

$2.66 ₡1,195

-61.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.11 ARS 4,715

$5.18 ₡2,328

-39.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 ARS 7,389

$19.88 ₡8,944

-75.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ARS 1,861

$2.90 ₡1,304

-57.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ARS 3,109

$3.63 ₡1,631

-43.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 ARS 1,570

$1.12 ₡506

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 ARS 1,538

$2.14 ₡961

-52.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,479

$1.57 ₡706

-37.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,835

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ARS 1,736

$1.52 ₡684

-25.00%

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

$20.0K ARS 30.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-7.58%

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

$29.8K ARS 45.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-13.62%

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

$60.1 ARS 91.2K

$96.3 ₡43.3K

-37.57%

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

$19.86 ARS 30.1K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-44.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 ARS 31.8K

$53.6 ₡24.1K

-60.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.96 ARS 51.5K

$71.6 ₡32.2K

-52.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 ARS 7,327

$7.89 ₡3,550

-38.78%

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

$238 ARS 361.5K

$494 ₡222.3K

-51.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 ARS 133.7K

$53.9 ₡24.3K

63.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 ARS 91.6K

$55.4 ₡24.9K

9.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ARS 173.7K

$77.9 ₡35.1K

46.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 212.8K

$79.6 ₡35.8K

76.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 ARS 777.2K

$788 ₡354.5K

-34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ARS 545.9K

$794 ₡357.3K

-54.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 ARS 1.4M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-76.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 ARS 923.1K

$1,419 ₡638.4K

-57.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡550.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$847 ARS 1.3M

$864 ₡388.5K

-1.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

8.62

1060.09%

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

Last update for Santa Fe: 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 Fe

$360 33.6%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 121% $434

Groceries & Markets

Santa Fe

$199 18.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 77.4% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Fe

$182 17%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 33.8% $61

Eating Out

Santa Fe

$176 16.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 20.1% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Fe

$101 9.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 84% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Fe

$44 4.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 100% $44

Getting Around

Santa Fe

$10 * 0.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 769% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $513 in Santa Fe 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 2% 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 $38.00 in Santa Fe versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $352 – making Santa Fe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Santa Fe

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:48 2:48 PM

11:48 11:48 AM

3 h behind Santa Fe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

391,164

4,912

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Fe Nosara 5,340 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,071 in Santa Fe, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 72% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,607 per month in Santa Fe 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 Fe, 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 $38.00 in Santa Fe 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 77% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Fe, where all-in costs run around $1,071, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Santa Fe 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 $1,071 in Santa Fe 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 Fe. 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.