Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aurora, IL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,697 in Aurora, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Aurora, IL
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Aurora, IL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Aurora, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,697

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,697 per month in Aurora, IL vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Aurora, IL $2,697
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,815 per month in Aurora, IL vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Aurora, IL $3,815
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,932 per month in Aurora, IL vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Aurora, IL $4,932
Nosara $3,712

Aurora, IL costs about 47% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Aurora, IL and Nosara sit above the global median – Aurora, IL by 101%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.27 $14.27

$12.22 ₡5,509

16.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 $59.4

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-1.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$7.54 ₡3,399

56.50%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$4.31 ₡1,941

21.81%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$1.72 ₡773

73.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.35 ₡608

74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.24 ₡1,459

57.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 $8.07

$4.48 ₡2,018

80.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.57 ₡707

-43.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.17 ₡1,429

9.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.42 ₡1,091

76.86%

Eggs

$3.53 $3.53

$3.57 ₡1,609

-1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$7.43 ₡3,349

21.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$10.42 ₡4,697

9.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 $16.00

$13.66 ₡6,156

17.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.32 ₡1,044

97.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.61 ₡728

2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$4.74 ₡2,138

-20.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.66 ₡747

96.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$3.72 ₡1,679

-48.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.57 ₡1,611

-25.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.10 ₡497

61.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.55 ₡1,149

-36.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.64 $10.64

$4.95 ₡2,232

114.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 $13.52

$20.01 ₡9,020

-32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.79 ₡1,256

-18.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.53 ₡1,589

-17.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 $133

$72.1 ₡32.5K

84.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.24 ₡1,011

75.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.55 ₡701

32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.88 $42.88

$8.86 ₡3,993

383.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.57 ₡708

-33.76%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

13.96%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-28.40%

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

$177 $177

$93.5 ₡42.1K

89.05%

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

$51.2 $51.2

$35.11 ₡15.8K

45.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 $54.0

$51.5 ₡23.2K

4.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.64 $29.64

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-58.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.87 $11.87

$7.84 ₡3,535

51.40%

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

$1,488 $1,488

$490 ₡220.7K

203.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

100.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$53.5 ₡24.1K

6.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-9.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$79.3 ₡35.7K

10.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 $81.3

$78.9 ₡35.6K

3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 $1,662

$786 ₡354.3K

111.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 $1,425

$780 ₡351.6K

82.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-42.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,218 $2,218

$1,407 ₡634.4K

57.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,824 $9,824

$6,972 ₡3.1M

40.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,179 $3,179

$1,201 ₡541.3K

164.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,784 $3,784

$876 ₡395.0K

331.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

8.62

-25.17%

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

Last update for Aurora, IL: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aurora, IL

$1.4K 53.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 45.3% $645

Groceries & Markets

Aurora, IL

$353 13.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 1% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aurora, IL

$282 10.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 36.1% $102

Eating Out

Aurora, IL

$276 10.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 24% $66

Getting Around

Aurora, IL

$147 * 5.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 41.1% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Aurora, IL

$124 4.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 3.3% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Aurora, IL

$53 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 63.1% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,662 in Aurora, IL 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 332% higher in Aurora, IL, 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 $59.0 in Aurora, IL versus $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $353 in Aurora, IL vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aurora, IL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

02:51 2:51 AM

1 h behind Aurora, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,542

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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Between locations

Aurora, IL Nosara 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Aurora, IL
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

Aurora, IL vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aurora, IL costs about 47% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,045 per month in Aurora, IL 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Aurora, IL and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,697 in Aurora, IL and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 47%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Aurora, IL at $2,697. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aurora, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $2,697 in Aurora, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Aurora, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.