Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tustin, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $4,359 in Tustin, CA, rent and utilities included – about $30,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in Tustin, CA
Learn more

Tustin, CA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Tustin, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,359

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,359 per month in Tustin, CA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Tustin, CA $4,359
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $6,011 per month in Tustin, CA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Tustin, CA $6,011
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $7,663 per month in Tustin, CA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Tustin, CA $7,663
Nosara $3,712

Tustin, CA costs about 137% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tustin, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Tustin, CA by 225%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.78 $24.78

$12.22 ₡5,509

102.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 $68.7

$60.2 ₡27.1K

14.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$7.54 ₡3,399

101.72%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.31 ₡1,941

31.32%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$1.72 ₡773

77.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.35 ₡608

74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.40 $7.40

$3.24 ₡1,459

128.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 $9.73

$4.48 ₡2,018

117.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.57 ₡707

-24.20%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.17 ₡1,429

67.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.42 ₡1,091

98.35%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.57 ₡1,609

36.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$7.43 ₡3,349

111.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$10.42 ₡4,697

25.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 $15.15

$13.66 ₡6,156

10.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.32 ₡1,044

105.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.61 ₡728

56.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$4.74 ₡2,138

-16.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$1.66 ₡747

231.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$3.72 ₡1,679

-1.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.57 ₡1,611

-11.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.10 ₡497

97.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.55 ₡1,149

10.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.79 $11.79

$4.95 ₡2,232

138.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$20.01 ₡9,020

-25.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.79 ₡1,256

-13.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.53 ₡1,589

23.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.19 ₡537

70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.56 $34.56

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-52.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.24 ₡1,011

41.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.55 ₡701

18.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.85 $29.85

$8.86 ₡3,993

236.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.57 ₡708

-3.18%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

69.55%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-26.34%

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

$216 $216

$93.5 ₡42.1K

131.47%

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

$86.5 $86.5

$35.11 ₡15.8K

146.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 $72.4

$51.5 ₡23.2K

40.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.7 $99.7

$71.4 ₡32.2K

39.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.29 $25.29

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-28.64%

Cinema Ticket

$17.25 $17.25

$7.84 ₡3,535

120.03%

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

$1,493 $1,493

$490 ₡220.7K

204.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K $30.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

154.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.8 $72.8

$53.5 ₡24.1K

35.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.60 $40.60

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-27.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$79.3 ₡35.7K

34.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$78.9 ₡35.6K

93.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$786 ₡354.3K

286.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,758 $2,758

$780 ₡351.6K

253.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,320 $4,320

$3,860 ₡1.7M

11.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,070 $4,070

$1,407 ₡634.4K

189.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,989 $7,989

$6,972 ₡3.1M

14.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,303 $5,303

$1,201 ₡541.3K

341.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$876 ₡395.0K

455.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Tustin, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tustin, CA

$2.8K 63.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 71.7% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Tustin, CA

$454 10.5%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 23.1% $105

Eating Out

Tustin, CA

$390 9%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 46.3% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tustin, CA

$375 8.7%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 52% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Tustin, CA

$168 3.9%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 28.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Tustin, CA

$134 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 35.1% $47

Getting Around

Tustin, CA

$55 1.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 57.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,040 in Tustin, 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 455% higher in Tustin, 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 $69.0 in Tustin, CA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $454 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tustin, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:48 5:48 AM

06:48 6:48 AM

1 h ahead of Tustin, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

69,665

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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tustin, CA Nosara 4,210 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tustin, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,359 in Tustin, CA, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 137% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,538 per month in Tustin, 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 109% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,493 per month in Tustin, 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 Tustin, CA at $4,359. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tustin, 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 $4,359 in Tustin, 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, Tustin, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.