Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Geneva, WI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Lake Geneva, WI
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Lake Geneva, WI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lake Geneva, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,464

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Lake Geneva, WI $2,464
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,622 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Lake Geneva, WI $3,622
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,780 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Lake Geneva, WI $4,780
Nosara $3,814

Living in Lake Geneva, WI is roughly 34% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lake Geneva, WI 82% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.49 $21.49

$12.34 ₡5,535

74.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 $90.0

$61.3 ₡27.5K

46.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 $12.95

$7.76 ₡3,481

66.88%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$4.44 ₡1,992

31.08%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$1.79 ₡803

50.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.29 ₡580

82.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.24 ₡1,451

114.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 $8.86

$4.43 ₡1,985

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.55 ₡696

-34.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.08 ₡1,380

-20.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.53 ₡1,133

100.00%

Eggs

$2.00 $2.00

$3.45 ₡1,546

-42.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 $13.97

$7.32 ₡3,284

90.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$10.24 ₡4,594

-5.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 $9.92

$14.10 ₡6,326

-29.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.29 ₡1,027

80.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.64 ₡737

17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$4.79 ₡2,149

-13.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$1.64 ₡735

187.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.85 ₡1,727

-30.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.75 ₡1,681

-29.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.09 ₡488

102.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.59 ₡1,160

14.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.45 $8.45

$5.12 ₡2,295

65.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 $12.84

$19.92 ₡8,931

-35.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.80 ₡1,255

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.52 ₡1,580

-4.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.22 ₡549

76.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.17 ₡973

52.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.56 ₡698

-12.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.17 $25.17

$8.67 ₡3,886

190.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.55 ₡697

-41.29%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

2.41%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.17%

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

$192 $192

$94.8 ₡42.5K

102.26%

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

$67.3 $67.3

$36.15 ₡16.2K

86.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 $50.6

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-4.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.35 $42.35

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-42.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 $10.13

$7.91 ₡3,548

28.07%

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

$1,687 $1,687

$490 ₡219.9K

244.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K $31.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

164.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 $66.7

$54.8 ₡24.6K

21.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-9.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 $98.3

$80.4 ₡36.0K

22.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$77.9 ₡34.9K

87.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,610 $1,610

$801 ₡359.1K

101.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 $1,198

$790 ₡354.1K

51.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 $2,754

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-31.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 $1,911

$1,409 ₡632.0K

35.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,513 $2,513

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-64.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,236 ₡554.3K

117.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,761 $3,761

$887 ₡397.6K

324.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

8.62

-25.17%

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

Last update for Lake Geneva, WI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lake Geneva, WI

$1.2K 48.6%

Nosara

$790 43% 34.1% $409

Groceries & Markets

Lake Geneva, WI

$359 14.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 2.5% $9.1

Eating Out

Lake Geneva, WI

$353 14.3%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 39.8% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Geneva, WI

$310 12.6%

Nosara

$184 10% 40.6% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Geneva, WI

$163 6.6%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 25.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Geneva, WI

$63 2.5%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 43.1% $27

Getting Around

Lake Geneva, WI

$19 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 375% $70

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 $1,610 in Lake Geneva, WI and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lake Geneva, WI pays 324% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $90.0 in Lake Geneva, WI vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lake Geneva, WI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

21:54 9:54 PM

1 h behind Lake Geneva, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Between locations

Lake Geneva, WI Nosara 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lake Geneva, 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

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

Lake Geneva, WI and Nosara differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,464 vs $1,835 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 324% higher in Lake Geneva, WI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,610 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,687 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $90.0 in Lake Geneva, WI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Lake Geneva, WI. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Lake Geneva, 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.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Lake Geneva, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.