Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elgin, IL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Elgin, IL: $1,035 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

51

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,035

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,035 in Elgin, IL versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Elgin, IL $1,035
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,614 in Elgin, IL versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Elgin, IL $2,614
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,192 in Elgin, IL versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Elgin, IL $4,192
Nosara $3,712

Living in Elgin, IL costs roughly 44% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elgin, IL is 23% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.93 $19.93

$12.22 ₡5,509

63.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.5 $59.5

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-1.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$7.54 ₡3,399

33.55%

Cappuccino

$3.90 $3.90

$4.31 ₡1,941

-9.51%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$1.72 ₡773

76.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.35 ₡608

51.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.24 ₡1,459

83.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.48 ₡2,018

9.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.57 ₡707

-43.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.17 ₡1,429

11.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.42 ₡1,091

79.34%

Eggs

$3.73 $3.73

$3.57 ₡1,609

4.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 $11.35

$7.43 ₡3,349

52.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.45 $13.45

$10.42 ₡4,697

29.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.71 $11.71

$13.66 ₡6,156

-14.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.32 ₡1,044

93.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.61 ₡728

-21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$4.74 ₡2,138

-45.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.66 ₡747

154.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.72 ₡1,679

-46.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.57 ₡1,611

-41.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.10 ₡497

67.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.55 ₡1,149

-7.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.79 $10.79

$4.95 ₡2,232

117.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 $15.56

$20.01 ₡9,020

-22.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.79 ₡1,256

-6.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.53 ₡1,589

-1.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.24 ₡1,011

81.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.55 ₡701

30.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.28 $28.28

$8.86 ₡3,993

219.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.57 ₡708

-33.76%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

67.54%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-28.02%

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

$99.4 $99.4

$93.5 ₡42.1K

6.32%

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

$52.2 $52.2

$35.11 ₡15.8K

48.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.61 $49.61

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-3.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$7.84 ₡3,535

88.27%

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

$1,690 $1,690

$490 ₡220.7K

245.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

94.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.27 $39.27

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-26.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 $50.2

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-10.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$79.3 ₡35.7K

26.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$78.9 ₡35.6K

55.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,175 $2,175

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-43.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,811 $1,811

$1,407 ₡634.4K

28.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,192 $2,192

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-68.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,211 $2,211

$1,201 ₡541.3K

84.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,971 $3,971

$876 ₡395.0K

353.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

8.62

-22.39%

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

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Elgin, IL

$371 35.3%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 5.9% $22

Eating Out

Elgin, IL

$296 28.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 29.3% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elgin, IL

$201 19.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 10.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Elgin, IL

$141 13.3%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 14.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Elgin, IL

$30 * 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 195% $58

Getting Around

Elgin, IL

$14 * 1.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 513% $73

Accommodation & Living

Elgin, IL

- * 0%

Nosara

$780 43%

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

Cost Breakdown

Elgin, IL pays 353% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Elgin, IL vs $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $371 vs $350, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elgin, IL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

19:10 7:10 PM

18:10 6:10 PM

1 h behind Elgin, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

112,603

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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Elgin, IL Nosara 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Elgin, 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

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

Elgin, IL is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 353% higher in Elgin, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $1,690 in Elgin, IL versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elgin, IL – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,035 in Elgin, IL versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elgin, IL but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Elgin, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Elgin, IL 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 Elgin, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.