Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fond du Lac, WI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Fond du Lac, WI: $989 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Fond du Lac, WI
🇺🇸 United States
$989
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $989 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $1,839 in Nosara.

  • Fond du Lac, WI $989
  • Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,655 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $2,828 in Nosara.

  • Fond du Lac, WI $1,655
  • Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,322 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $3,818 in Nosara.

  • Fond du Lac, WI $2,322
  • Nosara $3,818

Living in Fond du Lac, WI costs roughly 46% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fond du Lac, WI is 27% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fond du Lac, WI
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.84 $12.84
$12.35 ₡5,539
3.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.0 $68.0
$61.2 ₡27.4K
11.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.08 $8.08
$7.52 ₡3,373
7.45%
Cappuccino
$3.97 $3.97
$4.41 ₡1,978
-9.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 $2.94
$1.74 ₡780
68.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.31 ₡587
80.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 $4.01
$3.28 ₡1,471
22.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.92 $5.92
$4.47 ₡2,004
32.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fond du Lac, WI
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.77 $0.77
$1.56 ₡701
-50.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.78 $2.78
$3.02 ₡1,355
-7.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.93 $2.93
$2.51 ₡1,125
16.73%
Eggs
$3.15 $3.15
$3.57 ₡1,603
-11.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.75 $16.75
$7.43 ₡3,333
125.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.47 $11.47
$10.52 ₡4,717
9.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$13.97 ₡6,265
-6.37%
Apples (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.35 ₡1,052
91.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.61 ₡720
2.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.42 $3.42
$4.80 ₡2,152
-28.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.84 $5.84
$1.61 ₡724
262.73%
Potato (1kg)
$4.62 $4.62
$3.80 ₡1,703
21.58%
Onion (1kg)
$2.51 $2.51
$3.69 ₡1,657
-31.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.13 ₡507
-13.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$2.66 ₡1,191
-36.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.06 $11.06
$5.18 ₡2,321
113.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$19.88 ₡8,916
-57.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$2.90 ₡1,300
-41.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.63 ₡1,626
-
🚌 Getting Around
Fond du Lac, WI
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.12 ₡504
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$10.09 $10.09
$2.14 ₡958
371.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.57 ₡703
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.31 $20.31
$8.52 ₡3,823
138.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.52 ₡682
-37.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.5K $24.5K
$21.6K ₡9.7M
13.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K $25.1K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-27.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fond du Lac, WI
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$101 $101
$96.3 ₡43.2K
4.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.93 $36.93
$35.89 ₡16.1K
2.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.5 $51.5
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-3.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fond du Lac, WI
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.96 $11.96
$7.89 ₡3,539
51.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fond du Lac, WI
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,523 $1,523
$494 ₡221.6K
208.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fond du Lac, WI
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.6 $56.6
$53.9 ₡24.2K
4.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.30 $48.30
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-12.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.9 $86.9
$77.9 ₡34.9K
11.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$224 $224
$79.6 ₡35.7K
181.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fond du Lac, WI
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,181 $1,181
$788 ₡353.4K
49.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$794 ₡356.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,517 $1,517
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-61.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,796 $1,796
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-74.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,780 $1,780
$1,224 ₡549.0K
45.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fond du Lac, WI
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,007 $3,007
$864 ₡387.3K
248.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.43
8.62
-25.41%

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

Last update for Fond du Lac, WI: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Fond du Lac, WI
$351 *
Nosara
$352 0.5% $1.6
Eating Out
Fond du Lac, WI
$228
Nosara
$212 7% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fond du Lac, WI
$189
Nosara
$186 1.8% $3.4
Clothing & Footwear
Fond du Lac, WI
$187
Nosara
$120 35.9% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Fond du Lac, WI
$24 *
Nosara
$87 265% $63
Getting Around
Fond du Lac, WI
$10 *
Nosara
$87 763% $77
Accommodation & Living
Fond du Lac, WI
- *
Nosara
$794

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,181 in Fond du Lac, WI and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fond du Lac, WI pays 248% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Fond du Lac, WI vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $352, with Fond du Lac, WI cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Fond du Lac, WI
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
16:01 4:01 PM
15:01 3:01 PM
1 h behind Fond du Lac, WI
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
43,021
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fond du Lac, WI Nosara 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Fond du Lac, 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
Fond du Lac, WI vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Fond du Lac, WI and in Nosara?
Fond du Lac, WI and Nosara differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($989 vs $1,839 including rent). Fond du Lac, WI is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Fond du Lac, WI or Nosara?
Average pay runs 248% higher in Fond du Lac, WI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Fond du Lac, WI and in Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,181 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Fond du Lac, WI and Nosara?
Childcare runs $1,523 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Fond du Lac, WI – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $989 in Fond du Lac, WI versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Fond du Lac, WI but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Fond du Lac, WI the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Fond du Lac, WI and Nosara?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Fond du Lac, WI or Nosara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Fond du Lac, WI 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.
Where should expats move: Fond du Lac, WI or Nosara?
Expats usually find Fond du Lac, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Fond du Lac, WI vs other spots: cost of living compared

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