Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Oswego, OR and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,466 in Lake Oswego, OR, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Lake Oswego, OR
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Lake Oswego, OR Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lake Oswego, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,466

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,466 per month in Lake Oswego, OR vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Lake Oswego, OR $2,466
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,653 per month in Lake Oswego, OR vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Lake Oswego, OR $3,653
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,840 per month in Lake Oswego, OR vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Lake Oswego, OR $4,840
Nosara $3,818

Lake Oswego, OR costs about 34% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lake Oswego, OR and Nosara sit above the global median – Lake Oswego, OR by 83%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.65 $21.65

$12.35 ₡5,539

75.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$61.2 ₡27.4K

45.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 $10.90

$7.52 ₡3,373

44.95%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$4.41 ₡1,978

31.29%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$1.74 ₡780

75.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.31 ₡587

54.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 $6.53

$3.28 ₡1,471

99.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 $5.86

$4.47 ₡2,004

31.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.56 ₡701

-33.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.02 ₡1,355

32.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.51 ₡1,125

114.34%

Eggs

$4.35 $4.35

$3.57 ₡1,603

21.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$7.43 ₡3,333

49.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.53 $10.53

$10.52 ₡4,717

0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.40 $17.40

$13.97 ₡6,265

24.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.35 ₡1,052

57.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.61 ₡720

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.80 ₡2,152

-41.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.61 ₡724

59.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.80 ₡1,703

-43.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$3.69 ₡1,657

-51.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.13 ₡507

70.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.66 ₡1,191

-33.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.14 $11.14

$5.18 ₡2,321

115.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 $10.95

$19.88 ₡8,916

-44.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.90 ₡1,300

-39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.63 ₡1,626

-0.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.12 ₡504

76.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.14 ₡958

110.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.57 ₡703

-52.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.86 $23.86

$8.52 ₡3,823

180.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.52 ₡682

-17.76%

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

$34.1K $34.1K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

57.76%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-29.79%

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

$151 $151

$96.3 ₡43.2K

56.35%

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

$46.45 $46.45

$35.89 ₡16.1K

29.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 $63.5

$53.6 ₡24.0K

18.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.10 $42.10

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-41.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$7.89 ₡3,539

87.96%

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

$1,352 $1,352

$494 ₡221.6K

173.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K $12.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

2.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.20 $40.20

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-25.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.33 $30.33

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-45.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 $85.9

$77.9 ₡34.9K

10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 $83.9

$79.6 ₡35.7K

5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 $1,586

$788 ₡353.4K

101.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$794 ₡356.2K

65.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 $2,506

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-36.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 $2,165

$1,419 ₡636.5K

52.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,743 $2,743

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-60.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,429 $2,429

$1,224 ₡549.0K

98.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

8.62

-22.62%

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

Last update for Lake Oswego, OR: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lake Oswego, OR

$1.3K 53.3%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 39.5% $519

Groceries & Markets

Lake Oswego, OR

$356 14.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 1% $3.4

Eating Out

Lake Oswego, OR

$340 13.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 37.7% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Oswego, OR

$260 10.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 28.7% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Oswego, OR

$108 4.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 11% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Oswego, OR

$72 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 21.8% $16

Getting Around

Lake Oswego, OR

$16 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 440% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,586 in Lake Oswego, OR 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Lake Oswego, OR versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lake Oswego, OR

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:24 2:24 PM

15:24 3:24 PM

1 h ahead of Lake Oswego, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,731

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 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lake Oswego, OR Nosara 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lake Oswego, OR
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 Oswego, OR vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lake Oswego, OR is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,698 per month in Lake Oswego, OR 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 $2,466 in Lake Oswego, OR and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 34%.

Kindergarten costs $1,352 per month in Lake Oswego, OR 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 Lake Oswego, OR at $2,466. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lake Oswego, OR 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, Lake Oswego, OR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.