Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Federal Way, WA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
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Federal Way, WA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,324

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $3,324
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $4,324
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,324 per month in Federal Way, WA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Federal Way, WA $5,324
Nosara $3,818

Federal Way, WA costs about 81% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Federal Way, WA and Nosara sit above the global median – Federal Way, WA by 146%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 $24.74

$12.35 ₡5,539

100.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

24.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 $12.56

$7.52 ₡3,373

67.02%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$4.41 ₡1,978

31.97%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.74 ₡780

68.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.31 ₡587

27.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 $7.06

$3.28 ₡1,471

115.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.47 ₡2,004

59.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.56 ₡701

-30.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.02 ₡1,355

34.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.51 ₡1,125

21.51%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$3.57 ₡1,603

42.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$7.43 ₡3,333

118.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$10.52 ₡4,717

-0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$13.97 ₡6,265

38.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.35 ₡1,052

118.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.61 ₡720

-1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$4.80 ₡2,152

-10.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.61 ₡724

188.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.80 ₡1,703

-29.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.69 ₡1,657

-35.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.13 ₡507

97.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.66 ₡1,191

-1.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.08 $13.08

$5.18 ₡2,321

152.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$19.88 ₡8,916

-23.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.63 ₡1,626

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.12 ₡504

136.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.14 ₡958

22.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.57 ₡703

6.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 $29.83

$8.52 ₡3,823

250.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.52 ₡682

-13.16%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

68.51%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.56%

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

$157 $157

$96.3 ₡43.2K

63.47%

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

$76.9 $76.9

$35.89 ₡16.1K

114.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.0 $88.0

$53.6 ₡24.0K

64.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.95 $12.95

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-81.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$7.89 ₡3,539

49.43%

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

$1,446 $1,446

$494 ₡221.6K

192.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K $32.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

171.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.83 $45.83

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-15.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 $44.65

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-19.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

8.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$79.6 ₡35.7K

26.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 $2,017

$788 ₡353.4K

155.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 $2,025

$794 ₡356.2K

154.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,773 $2,773

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-29.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 $2,419

$1,419 ₡636.5K

70.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,440 $4,440

$864 ₡387.3K

414.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Federal Way, 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

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 60.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Federal Way, WA

$421 12.7%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 16.3% $68

Eating Out

Federal Way, WA

$373 11.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 43.2% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Federal Way, WA

$322 9.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 42.4% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 3.1% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 139% $51

Getting Around

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 304% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,017 in Federal Way, 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 414% higher in Federal Way, 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 $76.0 in Federal Way, WA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

01:02 1:02 AM

1 h ahead of Federal Way, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,030

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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Highest

Between locations

Federal Way, WA Nosara 5,390 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Federal Way, 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

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

Yes – Federal Way, WA is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,985 per month in Federal Way, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,324 in Federal Way, WA and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 81%.

Kindergarten costs $1,446 per month in Federal Way, WA 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 Federal Way, WA at $3,324. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Federal Way, 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, Federal Way, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.