Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellensburg, WA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,373 in Ellensburg, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ellensburg, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

115

Cost of Living Index in Ellensburg, WA
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Ellensburg, WA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ellensburg, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,373

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,373 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Ellensburg, WA $2,373
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,450 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Ellensburg, WA $3,450
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,527 per month in Ellensburg, WA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Ellensburg, WA $4,527
Nosara $3,818

Ellensburg, WA costs about 29% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ellensburg, WA and Nosara sit above the global median – Ellensburg, WA by 76%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 $15.04

$12.35 ₡5,539

21.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$61.2 ₡27.4K

20.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 $11.93

$7.52 ₡3,373

58.64%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$4.41 ₡1,978

18.59%

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

$1.53 $1.53

$1.74 ₡780

-12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.31 ₡587

-7.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.28 ₡1,471

51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 $5.96

$4.47 ₡2,004

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.56 ₡701

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.02 ₡1,355

-7.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.51 ₡1,125

86.06%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$3.57 ₡1,603

18.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.58 $15.58

$7.43 ₡3,333

109.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$10.52 ₡4,717

-37.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 $13.85

$13.97 ₡6,265

-0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.35 ₡1,052

105.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.61 ₡720

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$4.80 ₡2,152

-11.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.61 ₡724

146.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$3.80 ₡1,703

-60.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.69 ₡1,657

-40.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.13 ₡507

80.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.66 ₡1,191

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 $9.83

$5.18 ₡2,321

89.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.86 $13.86

$19.88 ₡8,916

-30.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.90 ₡1,300

-37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.63 ₡1,626

36.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.12 ₡504

80.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.14 ₡958

136.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.57 ₡703

11.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.36 $40.36

$8.52 ₡3,823

373.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.52 ₡682

-28.95%

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

$32.0K $32.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

48.07%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.10%

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

$152 $152

$96.3 ₡43.2K

57.80%

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

$39.44 $39.44

$35.89 ₡16.1K

9.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 $69.3

$53.6 ₡24.0K

29.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.32 $42.32

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-40.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 $15.73

$7.89 ₡3,539

99.37%

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

$1,360 $1,360

$494 ₡221.6K

175.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K $21.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

83.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.99 $34.99

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-35.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.67 $34.67

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-37.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$77.9 ₡34.9K

38.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.70 $40.70

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-48.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 $1,571

$788 ₡353.4K

99.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$794 ₡356.2K

63.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,528 $2,528

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-35.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,111 $2,111

$1,419 ₡636.5K

48.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,525 $4,525

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-34.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,445 $4,445

$1,224 ₡549.0K

263.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,770 $1,770

$864 ₡387.3K

104.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.62

-24.59%

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

Last update for Ellensburg, WA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ellensburg, WA

$1.3K 54.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 39% $508

Groceries & Markets

Ellensburg, WA

$350 14.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 0.8% $2.6

Eating Out

Ellensburg, WA

$267 11.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 20.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ellensburg, WA

$261 11%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 28.7% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Ellensburg, WA

$98 4.1%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 22.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Ellensburg, WA

$74 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 18.4% $14

Getting Around

Ellensburg, WA

$22 * 0.9%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 297% $65

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 Ellensburg, WA 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 105% higher in Ellensburg, 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 $74.0 in Ellensburg, WA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Ellensburg, WA vs $352 in Nosara – so Ellensburg, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ellensburg, WA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

01:35 1:35 AM

1 h ahead of Ellensburg, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,666

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Ellensburg, WA Nosara 5,260 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ellensburg, WA
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

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

Ellensburg, WA costs about 29% 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 $3,559 per month in Ellensburg, WA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Ellensburg, 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 1% cheaper in Ellensburg, 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 $1,839, than in Ellensburg, WA at $2,373. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ellensburg, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,373 in Ellensburg, WA. 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, Ellensburg, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.