Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buckley, WA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,432 in Buckley, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Buckley, WA
Learn more

Buckley, WA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Buckley, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,432

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,432 per month in Buckley, WA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Buckley, WA $2,432
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in Buckley, WA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Buckley, WA $3,581
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,730 per month in Buckley, WA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Buckley, WA $4,730
Nosara $3,814

Buckley, WA costs about 33% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Buckley, WA and Nosara sit above the global median – Buckley, WA by 79%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.29 $25.29

$12.34 ₡5,535

104.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 $65.7

$61.3 ₡27.5K

7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.37 $12.37

$7.76 ₡3,481

59.41%

Cappuccino

$6.27 $6.27

$4.44 ₡1,992

41.22%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.79 ₡803

63.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.29 ₡580

30.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$3.24 ₡1,451

119.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 $7.06

$4.43 ₡1,985

59.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.55 ₡696

-51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.08 ₡1,380

-28.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.53 ₡1,133

27.67%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$3.45 ₡1,546

16.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 $13.29

$7.32 ₡3,284

81.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 $8.86

$10.24 ₡4,594

-13.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 $13.37

$14.10 ₡6,326

-5.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.29 ₡1,027

41.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.64 ₡737

-3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$4.79 ₡2,149

-39.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.64 ₡735

97.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.85 ₡1,727

-28.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.75 ₡1,681

-34.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.09 ₡488

115.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.59 ₡1,160

1.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$5.12 ₡2,295

96.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$19.92 ₡8,931

-64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.80 ₡1,255

-11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.52 ₡1,580

-33.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.22 ₡549

54.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.17 ₡973

134.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.56 ₡698

-21.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.78 $24.78

$8.67 ₡3,886

185.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.55 ₡697

-15.48%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.72%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-31.32%

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

$159 $159

$94.8 ₡42.5K

67.23%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$36.15 ₡16.2K

93.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.10 $40.10

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-24.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.32 $40.32

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-45.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 $12.14

$7.91 ₡3,548

53.48%

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

$1,428 $1,428

$490 ₡219.9K

191.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

98.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.07 $27.07

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-50.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$55.9 ₡25.1K

0.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.32 $41.32

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-48.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.5 $65.5

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-15.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 $1,571

$801 ₡359.1K

96.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 $1,290

$790 ₡354.1K

63.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 $2,461

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-38.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 $2,186

$1,409 ₡632.0K

55.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,699 $2,699

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-61.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,412 $2,412

$1,236 ₡554.3K

95.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,544 $2,544

$887 ₡397.6K

186.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

8.62

-21.00%

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

Last update for Buckley, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buckley, WA

$1.3K 53.1%

Nosara

$790 43% 38.8% $501

Eating Out

Buckley, WA

$383 15.7%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 44.4% $170

Groceries & Markets

Buckley, WA

$322 13.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 8.7% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buckley, WA

$269 11%

Nosara

$184 10% 31.5% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Buckley, WA

$85 3.5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 41.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Buckley, WA

$65 2.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 38.7% $25

Getting Around

Buckley, WA

$19 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 373% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,571 in Buckley, WA 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 187% higher in Buckley, WA, 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 $66.0 in Buckley, WA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $322 in Buckley, WA vs $350 in Nosara – so Buckley, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Buckley, WA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

10:17 10:17 AM

1 h ahead of Buckley, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buckley, WA Nosara 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Buckley, WA
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Yes – Buckley, WA is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,648 per month in Buckley, WA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Buckley, WA and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Buckley, WA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Buckley, WA at $2,432. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buckley, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nosara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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