Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Maria, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,899 per month in Santa Maria, CA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Maria, CA $2,899
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,163 per month in Santa Maria, CA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Maria, CA $4,163
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,427 per month in Santa Maria, CA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Maria, CA $5,427
Nosara $3,818

Santa Maria, CA costs about 58% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Maria, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Santa Maria, CA by 115%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.21 $13.21

$12.35 ₡5,539

6.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.6 $59.6

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-2.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.52 ₡3,373

30.85%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$4.41 ₡1,978

37.64%

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

$3.44 $3.44

$1.74 ₡780

97.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.31 ₡587

49.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 $7.52

$3.28 ₡1,471

129.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.38 $9.38

$4.47 ₡2,004

109.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.56 ₡701

-32.05%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.02 ₡1,355

36.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.51 ₡1,125

93.23%

Eggs

$4.79 $4.79

$3.57 ₡1,603

34.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.43 ₡3,333

18.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$10.52 ₡4,717

-28.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 $13.55

$13.97 ₡6,265

-3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.35 ₡1,052

-43.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.61 ₡720

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.80 ₡2,152

-46.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.61 ₡724

103.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$3.80 ₡1,703

-49.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$3.69 ₡1,657

-70.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.13 ₡507

74.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.66 ₡1,191

-30.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.50 $11.50

$5.18 ₡2,321

122.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$19.88 ₡8,916

-23.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.90 ₡1,300

-33.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.63 ₡1,626

18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.12 ₡504

82.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.55 $49.55

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-31.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 $6.20

$2.14 ₡958

189.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.52 ₡682

-14.47%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

69.63%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-22.09%

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

$162 $162

$96.3 ₡43.2K

68.13%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$35.89 ₡16.1K

90.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 $60.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

12.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.38 $29.38

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-58.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$7.89 ₡3,539

88.85%

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

$1,888 $1,888

$494 ₡221.6K

281.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 $46.77

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-13.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 $39.74

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-28.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 $93.7

$77.9 ₡34.9K

20.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$79.6 ₡35.7K

56.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 $2,199

$788 ₡353.4K

179.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$794 ₡356.2K

118.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,497 $3,497

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-11.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,928 $2,928

$1,419 ₡636.5K

106.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,572 $8,572

$6,912 ₡3.1M

24.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,442 $8,442

$1,224 ₡549.0K

589.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,231 $4,231

$864 ₡387.3K

389.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

8.62

-25.87%

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

Last update for Santa Maria, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Maria, CA

$1.7K 60%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 54.3% $944

Groceries & Markets

Santa Maria, CA

$323 11.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 8.9% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Maria, CA

$291 10%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 36.1% $105

Eating Out

Santa Maria, CA

$286 9.9%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 26% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Maria, CA

$137 4.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 12.5% $17

Getting Around

Santa Maria, CA

$64 * 2.2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 36.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Maria, CA

$59 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 47.6% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,199 in Santa Maria, CA 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 390% higher in Santa Maria, 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 $60.0 in Santa Maria, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $352 – making Santa Maria, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Maria, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

22:58 10:58 PM

1 h ahead of Santa Maria, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,408

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Maria, CA Nosara 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 58% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,348 per month in Santa Maria, CA 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 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 47% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,888 per month in Santa Maria, CA and $494 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 $1,839, than in Santa Maria, CA at $2,899. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Maria, 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $2,899 in Santa Maria, 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 Maria, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.