Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elkhorn, WI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,421 in Elkhorn, WI, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Elkhorn, WI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

115

Cost of Living Index in Elkhorn, WI
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Elkhorn, WI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Elkhorn, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,421

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,421 per month in Elkhorn, WI vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Elkhorn, WI $2,421
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,426 per month in Elkhorn, WI vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Elkhorn, WI $3,426
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,430 per month in Elkhorn, WI vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Elkhorn, WI $4,430
Nosara $3,818

Elkhorn, WI costs about 32% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Elkhorn, WI and Nosara sit above the global median – Elkhorn, WI by 79%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.73 $14.73

$12.35 ₡5,539

19.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$61.2 ₡27.4K

28.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 $11.79

$7.52 ₡3,373

56.78%

Cappuccino

$4.16 $4.16

$4.41 ₡1,978

-5.67%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$1.74 ₡780

44.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.31 ₡587

11.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.28 ₡1,471

9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 $4.81

$4.47 ₡2,004

7.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.56 ₡701

-53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.02 ₡1,355

-7.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.51 ₡1,125

-26.69%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$3.57 ₡1,603

31.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$7.43 ₡3,333

30.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.51 $14.51

$10.52 ₡4,717

37.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.25 $12.25

$13.97 ₡6,265

-12.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.35 ₡1,052

105.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.61 ₡720

-21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.80 ₡2,152

-26.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.61 ₡724

164.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.80 ₡1,703

-30.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.69 ₡1,657

-42.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.13 ₡507

70.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.66 ₡1,191

-25.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.70 $9.70

$5.18 ₡2,321

87.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 $11.76

$19.88 ₡8,916

-40.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.90 ₡1,300

-13.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.63 ₡1,626

-32.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.12 ₡504

83.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.14 ₡958

52.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.57 ₡703

-9.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.35 $24.35

$8.52 ₡3,823

185.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.52 ₡682

-35.53%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

67.31%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.04%

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

$149 $149

$96.3 ₡43.2K

55.07%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$35.89 ₡16.1K

93.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-5.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.68 $44.68

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-37.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.74 $9.74

$7.89 ₡3,539

23.45%

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

$1,545 $1,545

$494 ₡221.6K

212.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K $31.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

165.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-6.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 $45.27

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-18.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 $66.2

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-15.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 $94.8

$79.6 ₡35.7K

19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 $1,615

$788 ₡353.4K

104.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 $1,356

$794 ₡356.2K

70.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 $2,491

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-36.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 $1,967

$1,419 ₡636.5K

38.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-61.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,078 $2,078

$1,224 ₡549.0K

69.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,841 $3,841

$864 ₡387.3K

344.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.62

-21.69%

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

Last update for Elkhorn, WI: 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

Elkhorn, WI

$1.4K 56%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 41.4% $562

Groceries & Markets

Elkhorn, WI

$351 14.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 0.3% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elkhorn, WI

$269 11.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 31% $84

Eating Out

Elkhorn, WI

$247 10.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 14.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Elkhorn, WI

$116 4.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3.9% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Elkhorn, WI

$64 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 36.2% $23

Getting Around

Elkhorn, WI

$19 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 370% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,615 in Elkhorn, WI versus $788 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 345% higher in Elkhorn, WI, 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 $79.0 in Elkhorn, WI versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Elkhorn, WI vs $352 in Nosara – so Elkhorn, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elkhorn, WI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:53 4:53 PM

15:53 3:53 PM

1 h behind Elkhorn, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

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 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 →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Elkhorn, WI Nosara 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Elkhorn, WI
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

Elkhorn, WI vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elkhorn, WI costs about 32% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,632 per month in Elkhorn, WI and $2,758 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,421 in Elkhorn, WI and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 32%.

Kindergarten costs $1,545 per month in Elkhorn, WI and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Elkhorn, WI at $2,421. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Elkhorn, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,421 in Elkhorn, WI. 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, Elkhorn, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.