Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,169 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,169

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,169 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,169
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,682 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,682
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $6,196 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,196
Nosara $3,712

Chicago, IL costs about 72% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Nosara sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$12.22 ₡5,509

76.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 $91.2

$60.2 ₡27.1K

51.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.09 $13.09

$7.54 ₡3,399

73.61%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.31 ₡1,941

34.11%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.72 ₡773

53.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.35 ₡608

68.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.24 ₡1,459

114.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 $8.93

$4.48 ₡2,018

99.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.57 ₡707

-19.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.17 ₡1,429

24.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.42 ₡1,091

104.96%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$3.57 ₡1,609

29.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 $13.97

$7.43 ₡3,349

88.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.37 $14.37

$10.42 ₡4,697

37.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 $18.59

$13.66 ₡6,156

36.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$2.32 ₡1,044

131.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.61 ₡728

19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.74 ₡2,138

-15.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$1.66 ₡747

197.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.72 ₡1,679

-24.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.57 ₡1,611

-22.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.10 ₡497

96.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.55 ₡1,149

22.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.71 $15.71

$4.95 ₡2,232

217.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$20.01 ₡9,020

-23.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.79 ₡1,256

-7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.53 ₡1,589

-1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.19 ₡537

108.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 $74.4

$72.1 ₡32.5K

3.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.24 ₡1,011

44.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.55 ₡701

-7.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.33 $24.33

$8.86 ₡3,993

174.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.57 ₡708

-20.38%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

64.56%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-24.98%

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

$195 $195

$93.5 ₡42.1K

108.22%

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

$69.0 $69.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

96.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 $62.1

$51.5 ₡23.2K

20.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 $54.5

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-23.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.80 $27.80

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-21.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$7.84 ₡3,535

127.55%

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

$1,513 $1,513

$490 ₡220.7K

209.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

161.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 $68.1

$53.5 ₡24.1K

27.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 $51.6

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-7.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$79.3 ₡35.7K

28.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$78.9 ₡35.6K

78.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,437 $2,437

$786 ₡354.3K

210.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 $1,662

$780 ₡351.6K

113.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,644 $4,644

$3,860 ₡1.7M

20.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 $2,751

$1,407 ₡634.4K

95.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,036 $4,036

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-42.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,677 $2,677

$1,201 ₡541.3K

122.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,861 $4,861

$876 ₡395.0K

454.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

8.62

-21.46%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53%

Nosara

$780 43% 53.1% $882

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$450 14.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 22.2% $100

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$354 11.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 40.8% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.4%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 44.7% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$163 5.2%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 26.2% $43

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 8.3% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 3.4% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,437 in Chicago, 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 455% higher in Chicago, 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 $91.0 in Chicago, IL versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $450 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

01:19 1:19 AM

1 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

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 →

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Nosara 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,169 in Chicago, IL, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 72% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,753 per month in Chicago, 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.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Chicago, IL and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Chicago, IL at $3,169. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,837 in Nosara to $3,169 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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