Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tracy, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,327 in Tracy, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tracy, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,327
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,327 per month in Tracy, CA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Tracy, CA $2,327
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Tracy, CA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Tracy, CA $2,585
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,843 per month in Tracy, CA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Tracy, CA $2,843
  • Nosara $3,818

Tracy, CA costs about 27% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tracy, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Tracy, CA by 72%, Nosara by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tracy, CA
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.75 $19.75
$12.35 ₡5,539
59.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.9 $50.9
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-16.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.10 $10.10
$7.52 ₡3,373
34.31%
Cappuccino
$4.52 $4.52
$4.41 ₡1,978
2.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 $3.12
$1.74 ₡780
79.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 $1.81
$1.31 ₡587
38.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.10 $6.10
$3.28 ₡1,471
85.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.44 $7.44
$4.47 ₡2,004
66.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tracy, CA
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 $1.34
$1.56 ₡701
-14.10%
White Bread (500g)
$4.19 $4.19
$3.02 ₡1,355
38.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.50 $5.50
$2.51 ₡1,125
119.12%
Eggs
$3.42 $3.42
$3.57 ₡1,603
-4.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.30 $16.30
$7.43 ₡3,333
119.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.11 $11.11
$10.52 ₡4,717
5.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.47 $15.47
$13.97 ₡6,265
10.74%
Apples (1kg)
$4.45 $4.45
$2.35 ₡1,052
89.36%
Banana (1kg)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.61 ₡720
40.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$4.80 ₡2,152
-9.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$1.61 ₡724
170.81%
Potato (1kg)
$2.21 $2.21
$3.80 ₡1,703
-41.84%
Onion (1kg)
$3.23 $3.23
$3.69 ₡1,657
-12.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.13 ₡507
80.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$2.66 ₡1,191
-24.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.91 $11.91
$5.18 ₡2,321
129.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.06 $13.06
$19.88 ₡8,916
-34.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$2.90 ₡1,300
-27.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 $2.75
$3.63 ₡1,626
-24.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Tracy, CA
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.12 ₡504
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.6 $64.6
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-11.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.44 $2.44
$2.14 ₡958
14.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.85 $1.85
$1.57 ₡703
17.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.48 $29.48
$8.52 ₡3,823
246.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.52 ₡682
-4.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.3K $37.3K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
72.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-25.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tracy, CA
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$179 $179
$96.3 ₡43.2K
85.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.6 $50.6
$35.89 ₡16.1K
40.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.7 $75.7
$53.6 ₡24.0K
41.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tracy, CA
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$7.89 ₡3,539
89.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tracy, CA
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,471 $2,471
$494 ₡221.6K
400.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.4K $35.4K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
198.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tracy, CA
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.4 $71.4
$53.9 ₡24.2K
32.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$72.0 $72.0
$55.4 ₡24.8K
29.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.8 $95.8
$77.9 ₡34.9K
22.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$233 $233
$79.6 ₡35.7K
192.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tracy, CA
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,775 $1,775
$788 ₡353.4K
125.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$991 $991
$794 ₡356.2K
24.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,758 $3,758
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-45.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tracy, CA
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,739 $5,739
$864 ₡387.3K
564.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.62
8.62
-23.20%

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

Last update for Tracy, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tracy, CA
$991
Nosara
$794 19.9% $197
Groceries & Markets
Tracy, CA
$404
Nosara
$352 12.9% $52
Eating Out
Tracy, CA
$308
Nosara
$212 31.1% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tracy, CA
$305
Nosara
$186 39.1% $119
Clothing & Footwear
Tracy, CA
$212
Nosara
$120 43.5% $92
Getting Around
Tracy, CA
$76 *
Nosara
$87 14.2% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Tracy, CA
$30 *
Nosara
$87 193% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,775 in Tracy, 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 565% higher in Tracy, 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 $51.0 in Tracy, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $404 in Tracy, CA vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Tracy, CA
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
09:01 9:01 AM
10:01 10:01 AM
1 h ahead of Tracy, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
98,337
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tracy, CA Nosara 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tracy, 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
Tracy, CA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Tracy, CA and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,327 in Tracy, CA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Tracy, CA compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,490 per month in Tracy, CA and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Tracy, CA and Nosara?
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.
How do commuting costs compare in Tracy, CA and in Nosara?
Public transport costs about 12% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Tracy, CA and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $2,471 per month in Tracy, CA and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Tracy, CA at $2,327. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tracy, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Tracy, CA and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,327 in Tracy, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Tracy, CA or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Tracy, CA and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tracy, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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