Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Crosse, WI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,198 in La Crosse, WI, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in La Crosse, WI
Learn more

La Crosse, WI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

La Crosse, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,198

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,198 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $2,198
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,399 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $3,399
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,601 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $4,601
Nosara $3,818

La Crosse, WI costs about 20% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both La Crosse, WI and Nosara sit above the global median – La Crosse, WI by 63%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.98 $14.98

$12.35 ₡5,539

21.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 $71.2

$61.2 ₡27.4K

16.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 $11.17

$7.52 ₡3,373

48.54%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.41 ₡1,978

28.12%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$1.74 ₡780

26.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.31 ₡587

-9.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.28 ₡1,471

35.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 $5.97

$4.47 ₡2,004

33.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.56 ₡701

-53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.02 ₡1,355

-15.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.51 ₡1,125

90.04%

Eggs

$2.40 $2.40

$3.57 ₡1,603

-32.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 $9.96

$7.43 ₡3,333

34.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.69 $10.69

$10.52 ₡4,717

1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$13.97 ₡6,265

17.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.35 ₡1,052

108.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.61 ₡720

-31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$4.80 ₡2,152

-35.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$1.61 ₡724

224.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$3.80 ₡1,703

-47.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.69 ₡1,657

-37.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.13 ₡507

82.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.66 ₡1,191

-35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 $9.74

$5.18 ₡2,321

88.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 $11.04

$19.88 ₡8,916

-44.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.90 ₡1,300

-37.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.63 ₡1,626

-46.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.12 ₡504

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.58 $35.58

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-51.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.14 ₡958

60.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.57 ₡703

21.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.67 $44.67

$8.52 ₡3,823

424.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.52 ₡682

-41.45%

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

$38.8K $38.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

79.66%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-29.64%

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

$206 $206

$96.3 ₡43.2K

114.24%

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

$54.4 $54.4

$35.89 ₡16.1K

51.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$53.6 ₡24.0K

24.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.44 $39.44

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-44.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 $3.95

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-88.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$7.89 ₡3,539

51.08%

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

$890 $890

$494 ₡221.6K

80.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 $63.3

$53.9 ₡24.2K

17.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.3 $63.3

$55.4 ₡24.8K

14.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 $79.6

$77.9 ₡34.9K

2.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$79.6 ₡35.7K

51.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 $763

$788 ₡353.4K

-3.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 $1,000

$794 ₡356.2K

25.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 $2,227

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-43.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 $1,983

$1,419 ₡636.5K

39.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,907 $1,907

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-72.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,920 $1,920

$1,224 ₡549.0K

56.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,088 $4,088

$864 ₡387.3K

373.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

8.62

-23.09%

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

Last update for La Crosse, WI: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Crosse, WI

$1K 45.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 20.6% $206

Groceries & Markets

La Crosse, WI

$338 15.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 4.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Crosse, WI

$328 14.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 43.3% $142

Eating Out

La Crosse, WI

$269 12.2%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 21.2% $57

Clothing & Footwear

La Crosse, WI

$147 6.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 18.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

La Crosse, WI

$63 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 38.1% $24

Getting Around

La Crosse, WI

$52 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 66.1% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in La Crosse, 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 373% higher in La Crosse, 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 $71.0 in La Crosse, WI versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $338 in La Crosse, WI vs $352 in Nosara – so La Crosse, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 La Crosse, WI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

01:37 1:37 AM

1 h behind La Crosse, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,680

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

La Crosse, WI Nosara 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

La Crosse, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,198 in La Crosse, WI, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,297 per month in La Crosse, 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in La Crosse, WI – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in La Crosse, WI and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in La Crosse, WI at $2,198. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Crosse, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,839 in Nosara to $2,198 in La Crosse, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, La Crosse, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.