Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Airway Heights, WA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,532 in Airway Heights, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Airway Heights, WA
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Airway Heights, WA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Airway Heights, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,532

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,532 in Airway Heights, WA versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Airway Heights, WA $2,532
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,718 in Airway Heights, WA versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Airway Heights, WA $3,718
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,903 in Airway Heights, WA versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Airway Heights, WA $4,903
Nosara $3,712

Living in Airway Heights, WA is roughly 38% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Airway Heights, WA 89% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 $17.30

$12.22 ₡5,509

41.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 $74.0

$60.2 ₡27.1K

22.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 $9.65

$7.54 ₡3,399

27.98%

Cappuccino

$4.34 $4.34

$4.31 ₡1,941

0.70%

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

$2.34 $2.34

$1.72 ₡773

36.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.35 ₡608

65.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.24 ₡1,459

81.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.48 ₡2,018

32.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.57 ₡707

-36.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.17 ₡1,429

3.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.42 ₡1,091

99.59%

Eggs

$4.40 $4.40

$3.57 ₡1,609

23.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.99 $15.99

$7.43 ₡3,349

115.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 $9.99

$10.42 ₡4,697

-4.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.93 $16.93

$13.66 ₡6,156

23.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.32 ₡1,044

111.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.61 ₡728

-12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$4.74 ₡2,138

15.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$1.66 ₡747

132.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.72 ₡1,679

-36.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.57 ₡1,611

-20.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.10 ₡497

87.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.55 ₡1,149

-27.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.22 $11.22

$4.95 ₡2,232

126.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 $14.27

$20.01 ₡9,020

-28.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.79 ₡1,256

-32.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.53 ₡1,589

24.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.19 ₡537

72.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.1 $61.1

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-15.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.24 ₡1,011

128.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.55 ₡701

9.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.95 $39.95

$8.86 ₡3,993

350.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.57 ₡708

-12.74%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

56.98%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-24.15%

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

$139 $139

$93.5 ₡42.1K

48.28%

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

$52.5 $52.5

$35.11 ₡15.8K

49.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 $70.3

$51.5 ₡23.2K

36.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 $41.78

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-41.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.42 $13.42

$7.84 ₡3,535

71.17%

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

$1,402 $1,402

$490 ₡220.7K

186.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K $14.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

19.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-2.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.01 $44.01

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-21.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$79.3 ₡35.7K

32.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 $147

$78.9 ₡35.6K

86.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$786 ₡354.3K

101.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 $1,304

$780 ₡351.6K

67.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 $2,469

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-36.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 $2,115

$1,407 ₡634.4K

50.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,158 $3,158

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-54.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,333 $2,333

$1,201 ₡541.3K

94.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,146 $4,146

$876 ₡395.0K

373.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

8.62

-20.65%

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

Last update for Airway Heights, WA: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Airway Heights, WA

$1.3K 51.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 40.2% $524

Groceries & Markets

Airway Heights, WA

$392 15.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 10.9% $43

Eating Out

Airway Heights, WA

$279 11%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 25% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Airway Heights, WA

$261 10.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 31.1% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Airway Heights, WA

$157 6.2%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 23.2% $36

Getting Around

Airway Heights, WA

$83 3.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 4.8% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Airway Heights, WA

$69 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 26.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,581 in Airway Heights, WA and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Airway Heights, WA pays 373% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in Airway Heights, WA vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Airway Heights, WA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:41 7:41 PM

20:41 8:41 PM

1 h ahead of Airway Heights, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,757

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Airway Heights, WA Nosara 5,150 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Airway Heights, WA
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

Airway Heights, WA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Airway Heights, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 373% higher in Airway Heights, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,581 in Airway Heights, WA versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,402 in Airway Heights, WA versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Airway Heights, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,532 in Airway Heights, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Airway Heights, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Airway Heights, WA and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Airway Heights, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.