Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Westminster, CA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,479 in Westminster, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Westminster, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,479

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,479 per month in Westminster, CA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Westminster, CA $2,479
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,908 per month in Westminster, CA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Westminster, CA $3,908
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,337 per month in Westminster, CA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Westminster, CA $5,337
Nosara $3,814

Westminster, CA costs about 35% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Westminster, CA and Nosara sit above the global median – Westminster, CA by 83%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$12.34 ₡5,535

103.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 $77.0

$61.3 ₡27.5K

25.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 $11.68

$7.76 ₡3,481

50.52%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$4.44 ₡1,992

24.55%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$1.79 ₡803

54.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.29 ₡580

58.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.37 $7.37

$3.24 ₡1,451

127.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 $9.43

$4.43 ₡1,985

112.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.55 ₡696

-23.87%

White Bread (500g)

$5.20 $5.20

$3.08 ₡1,380

68.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.53 ₡1,133

67.98%

Eggs

$4.92 $4.92

$3.45 ₡1,546

42.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$7.32 ₡3,284

71.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$10.24 ₡4,594

-12.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.82 $13.82

$14.10 ₡6,326

-1.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.29 ₡1,027

112.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.64 ₡737

8.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.79 ₡2,149

-16.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$1.64 ₡735

240.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.85 ₡1,727

-7.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.75 ₡1,681

-16.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.09 ₡488

99.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.59 ₡1,160

-11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$5.12 ₡2,295

131.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$19.92 ₡8,931

-24.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.80 ₡1,255

-39.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.52 ₡1,580

-9.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.22 ₡549

54.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.17 ₡973

101.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.56 ₡698

22.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$8.67 ₡3,886

307.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.55 ₡697

2.58%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.07%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.28%

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

$212 $212

$94.8 ₡42.5K

123.29%

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

$71.2 $71.2

$36.15 ₡16.2K

96.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 $69.3

$53.1 ₡23.8K

30.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.31 $47.31

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-35.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 $11.89

$7.91 ₡3,548

50.32%

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

$1,192 $1,192

$490 ₡219.9K

143.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.5K $42.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

257.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 $74.2

$54.8 ₡24.6K

35.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.57 $47.57

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-14.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$80.4 ₡36.0K

29.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$77.9 ₡34.9K

31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$801 ₡359.1K

82.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 $1,108

$790 ₡354.1K

40.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,743 $2,743

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-31.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,324 $2,324

$1,409 ₡632.0K

64.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,933 $2,933

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-58.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,679 $2,679

$1,236 ₡554.3K

116.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,559 $4,559

$887 ₡397.6K

414.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

8.62

-26.80%

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

Last update for Westminster, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Westminster, CA

$1.1K 44.7%

Nosara

$790 43% 28.7% $318

Groceries & Markets

Westminster, CA

$402 16.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 12.9% $52

Eating Out

Westminster, CA

$377 15.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 43.7% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Westminster, CA

$352 14.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 47.7% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Westminster, CA

$148 6%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 18.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Westminster, CA

$71 2.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 26.1% $19

Getting Around

Westminster, CA

$21 * 0.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 313% $67

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,465 in Westminster, CA versus $801 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 414% higher in Westminster, 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 $77.0 in Westminster, CA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Westminster, CA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:53 12:53 PM

13:53 1:53 PM

1 h ahead of Westminster, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,945

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Between locations

Westminster, CA Nosara 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Westminster, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,479 in Westminster, CA, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,719 per month in Westminster, CA and $2,753 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Westminster, CA and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Westminster, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Westminster, CA at $2,479. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Westminster, 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 $1,835 in Nosara to $2,479 in Westminster, 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, Westminster, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.