Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucia and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Lucia: $1,285 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Lucia
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Santa Lucia Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Santa Lucia

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,285

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Santa Lucia vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Lucia $1,285
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,823 per month in Santa Lucia vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Lucia $1,823
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,361 per month in Santa Lucia vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Lucia $2,361
Nosara $3,818

Santa Lucia is about 30% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Santa Lucia sits 5% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CUP 245

$12.35 ₡5,539

-17.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.61 CUP 711

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-51.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 CUP 173

$7.52 ₡3,373

-4.26%

Cappuccino

$3.34 CUP 80.1

$4.41 ₡1,978

-24.26%

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

$1.12 CUP 26.76

$1.74 ₡780

-35.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 CUP 20.63

$1.31 ₡587

-34.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 CUP 47.26

$3.28 ₡1,471

-39.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CUP 74.0

$4.47 ₡2,004

-31.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 CUP 45.60

$1.56 ₡701

21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CUP 43.24

$3.02 ₡1,355

-40.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 CUP 36.91

$2.51 ₡1,125

-38.65%

Eggs

$3.69 CUP 88.5

$3.57 ₡1,603

3.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 CUP 151

$7.43 ₡3,333

-15.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.94 CUP 142

$10.52 ₡4,717

-43.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 CUP 268

$13.97 ₡6,265

-20.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 CUP 66.6

$2.35 ₡1,052

18.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CUP 36.69

$1.61 ₡720

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 CUP 47.93

$4.80 ₡2,152

-58.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 CUP 53.6

$1.61 ₡724

38.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CUP 48.70

$3.80 ₡1,703

-46.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 CUP 40.89

$3.69 ₡1,657

-53.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 CUP 23.64

$1.13 ₡507

-13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.70

$2.66 ₡1,191

-62.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 CUP 95.8

$5.18 ₡2,321

-22.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 CUP 288

$19.88 ₡8,916

-39.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CUP 39.28

$2.90 ₡1,300

-43.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 CUP 55.8

$3.63 ₡1,626

-36.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 CUP 4.31

$1.12 ₡504

-83.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 CUP 611

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-64.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 CUP 79.1

$2.14 ₡958

54.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 CUP 10.00

$1.57 ₡703

-73.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.93 CUP 358

$8.52 ₡3,823

75.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 CUP 24.58

$1.52 ₡682

-32.89%

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

$71.2K CUP 1.7M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

229.27%

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

$79.3K CUP 1.9M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

129.81%

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

$35.11 CUP 843

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-63.54%

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

$15.11 CUP 363

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-57.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$255 CUP 6,116

$53.6 ₡24.0K

375.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.70 CUP 977

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-43.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.83 CUP 356

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-57.52%

Cinema Ticket

$0.97 CUP 23.37

$7.89 ₡3,539

-87.71%

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

$165 CUP 3,950

$494 ₡221.6K

-66.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,007 CUP 96.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-66.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 CUP 1,666

$53.9 ₡24.2K

28.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 CUP 1,337

$55.4 ₡24.8K

0.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 CUP 2,369

$77.9 ₡34.9K

26.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CUP 2,499

$79.6 ₡35.7K

30.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 CUP 13.4K

$788 ₡353.4K

-29.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 CUP 8,321

$794 ₡356.2K

-56.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 CUP 17.7K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-81.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 CUP 11.9K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-64.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$346 CUP 8,312

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-94.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$369 CUP 8,853

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-69.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$55.1 CUP 1,321

$864 ₡387.3K

-93.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

8.62

-42.69%

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

Last update for Santa Lucia: 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 Lucia

$347 27%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 129% $448

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Lucia

$305 23.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 39.1% $119

Groceries & Markets

Santa Lucia

$244 19%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 44.2% $108

Eating Out

Santa Lucia

$167 13%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 26.8% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Lucia

$148 11.5%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 18.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Lucia

$43 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 105% $45

Getting Around

Santa Lucia

$32 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 176% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $556 in Santa Lucia 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 1469% 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 $30.00 in Santa Lucia versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $352 – making Santa Lucia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Santa Lucia

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

07:36 7:36 AM

2 h behind Santa Lucia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 Lucia Nosara 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,285 in Santa Lucia, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Santa Lucia 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 Lucia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 185% less in Santa Lucia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $165 per month in Santa Lucia and $494 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 Lucia, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Santa Lucia 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 $1,285 in Santa Lucia 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 Lucia. 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.