Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellevue, WA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,719 in Bellevue, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

181

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, WA
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Bellevue, WA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,719

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,719 in Bellevue, WA versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Bellevue, WA $3,719
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,673 in Bellevue, WA versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Bellevue, WA $5,673
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,628 in Bellevue, WA versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Bellevue, WA $7,628
Nosara $3,818

Living in Bellevue, WA is roughly 102% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bellevue, WA 175% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$12.35 ₡5,539

105.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$61.2 ₡27.4K

65.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.04 $13.04

$7.52 ₡3,373

73.40%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$4.41 ₡1,978

31.97%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$1.74 ₡780

84.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.31 ₡587

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.28 ₡1,471

146.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$4.47 ₡2,004

80.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.56 ₡701

-29.49%

White Bread (500g)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.02 ₡1,355

60.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$2.51 ₡1,125

139.04%

Eggs

$5.55 $5.55

$3.57 ₡1,603

55.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.32 $16.32

$7.43 ₡3,333

119.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$10.52 ₡4,717

50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.97 ₡6,265

64.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$2.35 ₡1,052

137.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.61 ₡720

16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.80 ₡2,152

10.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$1.61 ₡724

181.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.80 ₡1,703

-30.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.69 ₡1,657

-13.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.13 ₡507

79.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.66 ₡1,191

-6.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.17 $12.17

$5.18 ₡2,321

134.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 $18.59

$19.88 ₡8,916

-6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.90 ₡1,300

-25.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.63 ₡1,626

31.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.12 ₡504

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$72.6 ₡32.6K

46.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.14 ₡958

18.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.57 ₡703

5.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.32 $30.32

$8.52 ₡3,823

255.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.52 ₡682

-5.26%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

70.02%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.22%

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

$226 $226

$96.3 ₡43.2K

134.58%

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

$54.0 $54.0

$35.89 ₡16.1K

50.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 $65.8

$53.6 ₡24.0K

22.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$134 $134

$71.6 ₡32.1K

87.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.89 $39.89

$34.91 ₡15.7K

14.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.31 $17.31

$7.89 ₡3,539

119.39%

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

$1,980 $1,980

$494 ₡221.6K

300.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K $31.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

165.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 $60.8

$53.9 ₡24.2K

12.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.35 $44.35

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-19.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 $95.8

$77.9 ₡34.9K

22.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$79.6 ₡35.7K

59.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,683 $2,683

$788 ₡353.4K

240.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 $2,041

$794 ₡356.2K

156.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,658 $5,658

$3,939 ₡1.8M

43.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,822 $3,822

$1,419 ₡636.5K

169.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,604 $4,604

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-33.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,735 $4,735

$1,224 ₡549.0K

286.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,805 $8,805

$864 ₡387.3K

919.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Bellevue, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellevue, WA

$2K 54.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 61.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Bellevue, WA

$495 13.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 28.9% $143

Eating Out

Bellevue, WA

$392 10.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 45.9% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellevue, WA

$346 9.3%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 46.3% $160

Sport & Entertainment

Bellevue, WA

$169 4.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 48.2% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Bellevue, WA

$148 4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 18.7% $28

Getting Around

Bellevue, WA

$128 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 32.2% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,683 in Bellevue, WA and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellevue, WA pays 920% 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: $102 in Bellevue, WA vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $495 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellevue, WA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:56 1:56 PM

14:56 2:56 PM

1 h ahead of Bellevue, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

151,854

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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 →

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Bellevue, WA Nosara 5,400 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bellevue, 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

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

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 920% higher in Bellevue, 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: $2,683 in Bellevue, WA versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $102 in Bellevue, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,719 per month in Bellevue, WA versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $3,719 in Bellevue, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Bellevue, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bellevue, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bellevue, 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 102% less than in Bellevue, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.