Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ventura, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,414 in Ventura, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Ventura, CA
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Ventura, CA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ventura, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,414

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,414 per month in Ventura, CA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Ventura, CA $3,414
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,634 per month in Ventura, CA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Ventura, CA $4,634
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,854 per month in Ventura, CA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Ventura, CA $5,854
Nosara $3,818

Ventura, CA costs about 86% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ventura, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Ventura, CA by 153%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.16 $25.16

$12.35 ₡5,539

103.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 $70.5

$61.2 ₡27.4K

15.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 $11.57

$7.52 ₡3,373

53.86%

Cappuccino

$5.73 $5.73

$4.41 ₡1,978

29.93%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$1.74 ₡780

58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.31 ₡587

55.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 $6.81

$3.28 ₡1,471

107.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.47 ₡2,004

101.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.56 ₡701

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.02 ₡1,355

91.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.51 ₡1,125

-13.94%

Eggs

$4.98 $4.98

$3.57 ₡1,603

39.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 $8.57

$7.43 ₡3,333

15.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 $8.55

$10.52 ₡4,717

-18.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 $13.70

$13.97 ₡6,265

-1.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.35 ₡1,052

38.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.61 ₡720

-3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$4.80 ₡2,152

-32.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.61 ₡724

166.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.80 ₡1,703

-43.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.69 ₡1,657

-5.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.13 ₡507

76.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.66 ₡1,191

-16.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.95 $9.95

$5.18 ₡2,321

92.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.78 $14.78

$19.88 ₡8,916

-25.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.90 ₡1,300

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.63 ₡1,626

-24.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.12 ₡504

30.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.56 $49.56

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-31.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.14 ₡958

105.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.57 ₡703

19.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.64 $35.64

$8.52 ₡3,823

318.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.52 ₡682

-5.92%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

71.69%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.40%

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

$149 $149

$96.3 ₡43.2K

55.00%

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

$57.1 $57.1

$35.89 ₡16.1K

59.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$53.6 ₡24.0K

28.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 $55.3

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-22.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 $19.88

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-43.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 $11.81

$7.89 ₡3,539

49.68%

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

$1,099 $1,099

$494 ₡221.6K

122.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.3K $43.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

265.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 $49.63

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-7.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.18 $30.18

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-45.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.5 $67.5

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-13.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 $84.1

$79.6 ₡35.7K

5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,389 $2,389

$788 ₡353.4K

203.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$794 ₡356.2K

170.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,270 $3,270

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-16.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 $3,027

$1,419 ₡636.5K

113.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,616 $6,616

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-4.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,067 $6,067

$1,224 ₡549.0K

395.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,772 $4,772

$864 ₡387.3K

452.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

8.62

-25.29%

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

Last update for Ventura, 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

Ventura, CA

$2.2K 63%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 63.1% $1.4K

Eating Out

Ventura, CA

$376 11%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 43.7% $164

Groceries & Markets

Ventura, CA

$360 10.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 2.1% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ventura, CA

$275 8.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 32.6% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Ventura, CA

$104 3.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 15.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Ventura, CA

$79 2.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 10.7% $8.5

Getting Around

Ventura, CA

$69 2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 25.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,389 in Ventura, 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 453% higher in Ventura, 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 $70.0 in Ventura, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ventura, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:13 11:13 AM

12:13 12:13 PM

1 h ahead of Ventura, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

104,423

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ventura, CA Nosara 4,360 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ventura, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,414 in Ventura, CA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 86% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,121 per month in Ventura, 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 $1,099 per month in Ventura, 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 Ventura, CA at $3,414. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ventura, 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 $3,414 in Ventura, 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, Ventura, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.