Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yuma, AZ and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,111 in Yuma, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Yuma, AZ
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Yuma, AZ Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Yuma, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,111

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,111 per month in Yuma, AZ vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Yuma, AZ $2,111
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Yuma, AZ vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Yuma, AZ $3,130
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,149 per month in Yuma, AZ vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Yuma, AZ $4,149
Nosara $3,814

Yuma, AZ costs about 15% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Yuma, AZ and Nosara sit above the global median – Yuma, AZ by 56%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.82 $12.82

$12.34 ₡5,535

3.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.57 $44.57

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-27.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 $9.42

$7.76 ₡3,481

21.39%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.44 ₡1,992

27.48%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$1.79 ₡803

68.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.29 ₡580

81.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 $5.72

$3.24 ₡1,451

76.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 $5.54

$4.43 ₡1,985

25.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.55 ₡696

-45.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.08 ₡1,380

33.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.53 ₡1,133

32.81%

Eggs

$4.39 $4.39

$3.45 ₡1,546

27.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 $9.20

$7.32 ₡3,284

25.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 $9.75

$10.24 ₡4,594

-4.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 $14.90

$14.10 ₡6,326

5.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.29 ₡1,027

137.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.64 ₡737

12.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.79 ₡2,149

-12.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.64 ₡735

65.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.85 ₡1,727

-12.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.75 ₡1,681

-20.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.09 ₡488

35.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.59 ₡1,160

-35.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.18 $11.18

$5.12 ₡2,295

118.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.69 $14.69

$19.92 ₡8,931

-26.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.80 ₡1,255

-36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.52 ₡1,580

-11.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.22 ₡549

59.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.91 $45.91

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-37.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.17 ₡973

23.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.56 ₡698

-10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.52 $33.52

$8.67 ₡3,886

286.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.55 ₡697

-32.90%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-31.50%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-36.38%

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

$229 $229

$94.8 ₡42.5K

141.69%

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

$53.0 $53.0

$36.15 ₡16.2K

46.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$53.1 ₡23.8K

34.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 $33.01

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-55.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 $15.06

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-57.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 $10.95

$7.91 ₡3,548

38.43%

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

$1,004 $1,004

$490 ₡219.9K

104.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K $22.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

92.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 $51.5

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-6.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.84 $43.84

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-21.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-11.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 $73.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 $1,010

$801 ₡359.1K

26.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 $915

$790 ₡354.1K

15.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 $1,695

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-57.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 $1,689

$1,409 ₡632.0K

19.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,483 $2,483

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-64.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$1,236 ₡554.3K

96.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,672 $3,672

$887 ₡397.6K

314.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

8.62

-23.09%

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

Last update for Yuma, AZ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yuma, AZ

$915 43.4%

Nosara

$790 43% 13.7% $126

Groceries & Markets

Yuma, AZ

$357 16.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 1.9% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yuma, AZ

$353 16.7%

Nosara

$184 10% 47.9% $169

Eating Out

Yuma, AZ

$260 12.3%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 18.2% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Yuma, AZ

$108 5.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 12.1% $13

Getting Around

Yuma, AZ

$63 3%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 39.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Yuma, AZ

$55 2.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 63.2% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,010 in Yuma, AZ 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 314% higher in Yuma, AZ, 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 $45.00 in Yuma, AZ versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $357 in Yuma, AZ vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Yuma, AZ

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:45 1:45 PM

14:45 2:45 PM

1 h ahead of Yuma, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,064

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

Yuma, AZ Nosara 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Yuma, AZ
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

Yuma, AZ vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,111 in Yuma, AZ, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,167 per month in Yuma, AZ 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.

Public transport costs about 61% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,004 per month in Yuma, AZ 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 $1,835, than in Yuma, AZ at $2,111. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yuma, AZ 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 $2,111 in Yuma, AZ. 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, Yuma, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.