Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bloomington, IL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,258 in Bloomington, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Bloomington, IL
Learn more

Bloomington, IL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Bloomington, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,258

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,258 per month in Bloomington, IL vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Bloomington, IL $2,258
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,264 per month in Bloomington, IL vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Bloomington, IL $3,264
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,270 per month in Bloomington, IL vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Bloomington, IL $4,270
Nosara $3,814

Bloomington, IL costs about 23% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bloomington, IL and Nosara sit above the global median – Bloomington, IL by 67%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.84 $17.84

$12.34 ₡5,535

44.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 $78.4

$61.3 ₡27.5K

27.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$7.76 ₡3,481

54.38%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$4.44 ₡1,992

18.02%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$1.79 ₡803

35.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.29 ₡580

31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.24 ₡1,451

74.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$4.43 ₡1,985

62.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.55 ₡696

-29.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 $2.32

$3.08 ₡1,380

-24.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.53 ₡1,133

67.59%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$3.45 ₡1,546

7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.39 $13.39

$7.32 ₡3,284

82.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 $7.76

$10.24 ₡4,594

-24.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.30 $17.30

$14.10 ₡6,326

22.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.29 ₡1,027

55.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.64 ₡737

-1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$4.79 ₡2,149

15.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.64 ₡735

110.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.85 ₡1,727

-11.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.75 ₡1,681

-29.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.09 ₡488

148.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.59 ₡1,160

8.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.80 $7.80

$5.12 ₡2,295

52.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$19.92 ₡8,931

-24.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.80 ₡1,255

-31.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.52 ₡1,580

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.22 ₡549

0.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.70 $40.70

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-44.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.17 ₡973

56.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.56 ₡698

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 $40.78

$8.67 ₡3,886

370.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.55 ₡697

-38.71%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-21.10%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-34.44%

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

$196 $196

$94.8 ₡42.5K

106.80%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$36.15 ₡16.2K

92.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.1 $76.1

$53.1 ₡23.8K

43.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 $59.8

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-18.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 $10.13

$7.91 ₡3,548

28.07%

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

$1,426 $1,426

$490 ₡219.9K

190.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

100.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 $58.9

$54.8 ₡24.6K

7.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 $40.53

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-27.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 $86.6

$80.4 ₡36.0K

7.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$77.9 ₡34.9K

55.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 $1,275

$801 ₡359.1K

59.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 $970

$790 ₡354.1K

22.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-55.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 $1,439

$1,409 ₡632.0K

2.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,485 $1,485

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-78.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,309 $1,309

$1,236 ₡554.3K

5.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,544 $4,544

$887 ₡397.6K

412.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

8.62

-22.04%

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

Last update for Bloomington, IL: 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

Bloomington, IL

$970 43%

Nosara

$790 43% 18.6% $181

Groceries & Markets

Bloomington, IL

$370 16.4%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 5.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bloomington, IL

$342 15.1%

Nosara

$184 10% 46.1% $158

Eating Out

Bloomington, IL

$301 13.3%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 29.2% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Bloomington, IL

$138 6.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 12.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Bloomington, IL

$80 3.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 11.9% $9.5

Getting Around

Bloomington, IL

$57 2.5%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 56.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,275 in Bloomington, IL 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 413% higher in Bloomington, 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 $78.0 in Bloomington, IL versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bloomington, IL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

21:12 9:12 PM

1 h behind Bloomington, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

69,247

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bloomington, IL Nosara 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bloomington, 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

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

Bloomington, IL costs about 23% 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 $3,387 per month in Bloomington, IL 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,426 per month in Bloomington, IL and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Bloomington, IL, 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 Bloomington, IL at $2,258. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bloomington, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,258 in Bloomington, 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, Bloomington, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.