Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rosa, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,481 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,481

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,481 per month in Santa Rosa, CA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Rosa, CA $3,481
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $5,079 per month in Santa Rosa, CA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Rosa, CA $5,079
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $6,677 per month in Santa Rosa, CA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Santa Rosa, CA $6,677
Nosara $3,712

Santa Rosa, CA costs about 89% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Rosa, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Santa Rosa, CA by 160%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.61 $24.61

$12.22 ₡5,509

101.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 $99.6

$60.2 ₡27.1K

65.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.99 $11.99

$7.54 ₡3,399

59.02%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$4.31 ₡1,941

53.13%

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

$3.33 $3.33

$1.72 ₡773

93.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.35 ₡608

142.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$3.24 ₡1,459

141.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.16 $9.16

$4.48 ₡2,018

104.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.57 ₡707

-6.37%

White Bread (500g)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.17 ₡1,429

40.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.42 ₡1,091

94.21%

Eggs

$5.49 $5.49

$3.57 ₡1,609

53.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.74 $22.74

$7.43 ₡3,349

206.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.48 $14.48

$10.42 ₡4,697

38.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.56 $20.56

$13.66 ₡6,156

50.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$2.32 ₡1,044

150.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.61 ₡728

72.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.10 $7.10

$4.74 ₡2,138

49.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$1.66 ₡747

322.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$3.72 ₡1,679

0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.57 ₡1,611

3.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.10 ₡497

195.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.55 ₡1,149

-18.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.14 $12.14

$4.95 ₡2,232

145.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 $13.89

$20.01 ₡9,020

-30.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.79 ₡1,256

-21.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.53 ₡1,589

-39.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.19 ₡537

27.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.54 $45.54

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-36.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.24 ₡1,011

74.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.55 ₡701

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.58 $28.58

$8.86 ₡3,993

222.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.57 ₡708

-4.46%

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

$36.9K $36.9K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

69.38%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-20.57%

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

$192 $192

$93.5 ₡42.1K

105.72%

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

$51.2 $51.2

$35.11 ₡15.8K

45.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 $72.6

$51.5 ₡23.2K

41.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.7 $71.7

$71.4 ₡32.2K

0.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.78 $13.78

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-61.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.30 $14.30

$7.84 ₡3,535

82.40%

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

$1,271 $1,271

$490 ₡220.7K

159.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.2K $39.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

230.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 $52.1

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-2.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 $40.02

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-28.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$79.3 ₡35.7K

44.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$78.9 ₡35.6K

61.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,392 $2,392

$786 ₡354.3K

204.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 $1,933

$780 ₡351.6K

147.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,652 $3,652

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-5.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,087 $3,087

$1,407 ₡634.4K

119.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,571 $4,571

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-34.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,741 $4,741

$1,201 ₡541.3K

294.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,649 $4,649

$876 ₡395.0K

430.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

8.62

-25.06%

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

Last update for Santa Rosa, CA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rosa, CA

$1.9K 55.7%

Nosara

$780 43% 59.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rosa, CA

$511 14.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 31.6% $161

Eating Out

Santa Rosa, CA

$396 11.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 47.1% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rosa, CA

$316 9.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 43% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rosa, CA

$150 4.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 19.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rosa, CA

$100 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 13.2% $13

Getting Around

Santa Rosa, CA

$65 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 33.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,392 in Santa Rosa, 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 431% higher in Santa Rosa, 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 Rosa, CA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $511 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:48 6:48 AM

07:48 7:48 AM

1 h ahead of Santa Rosa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,972

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 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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Between locations

Santa Rosa, CA Nosara 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,481 in Santa Rosa, CA, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 89% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,221 per month in Santa Rosa, 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 58% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,271 per month in Santa Rosa, 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 Rosa, CA at $3,481. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Rosa, 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 $3,481 in Santa Rosa, 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 Rosa, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.