Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lakewood, WA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $3,284 in Lakewood, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

158

Cost of Living Index in Lakewood, WA
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Lakewood, WA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,284

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,284 in Lakewood, WA versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Lakewood, WA $3,284
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,777 in Lakewood, WA versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Lakewood, WA $4,777
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,270 in Lakewood, WA versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Lakewood, WA $6,270
Nosara $3,814

Living in Lakewood, WA is roughly 79% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lakewood, WA 142% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 $18.09

$12.34 ₡5,535

46.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 $67.6

$61.3 ₡27.5K

10.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 $12.71

$7.76 ₡3,481

63.79%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$4.44 ₡1,992

17.12%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$1.79 ₡803

66.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.29 ₡580

58.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.24 ₡1,451

20.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.43 ₡1,985

37.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.55 ₡696

-34.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.08 ₡1,380

19.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.53 ₡1,133

67.59%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$3.45 ₡1,546

13.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$7.32 ₡3,284

87.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$10.24 ₡4,594

-15.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 $11.21

$14.10 ₡6,326

-20.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.29 ₡1,027

91.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.64 ₡737

18.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$4.79 ₡2,149

-13.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.64 ₡735

175.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.85 ₡1,727

-48.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.75 ₡1,681

-42.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.09 ₡488

85.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.59 ₡1,160

-3.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$5.12 ₡2,295

141.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 $15.84

$19.92 ₡8,931

-20.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.80 ₡1,255

-29.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.52 ₡1,580

17.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.22 ₡549

67.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$197 $197

$73.9 ₡33.1K

166.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.17 ₡973

-6.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.56 ₡698

-58.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 $27.31

$8.67 ₡3,886

214.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.55 ₡697

-13.55%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-18.67%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.11%

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

$289 $289

$94.8 ₡42.5K

204.50%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$36.15 ₡16.2K

104.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.5 $89.5

$53.1 ₡23.8K

68.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.00 $41.00

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-44.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.97 $24.97

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-29.92%

Cinema Ticket

$18.08 $18.08

$7.91 ₡3,548

128.57%

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

$1,965 $1,965

$490 ₡219.9K

300.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K $25.7K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

115.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-8.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 $38.11

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-31.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$80.4 ₡36.0K

24.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$77.9 ₡34.9K

74.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 $1,961

$801 ₡359.1K

144.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 $1,733

$790 ₡354.1K

119.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,365 $3,365

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-15.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,047 $3,047

$1,409 ₡632.0K

116.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,359 $2,359

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-66.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,606 $2,606

$1,236 ₡554.3K

110.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

8.62

-21.00%

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

Last update for Lakewood, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lakewood, WA

$1.7K 52.8%

Nosara

$790 43% 54.4% $943

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lakewood, WA

$452 13.8%

Nosara

$184 10% 59.3% $268

Groceries & Markets

Lakewood, WA

$369 11.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 5.1% $19

Eating Out

Lakewood, WA

$297 9.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 28.4% $84

Getting Around

Lakewood, WA

$210 6.4%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 57.8% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Lakewood, WA

$146 4.5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 17.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Lakewood, WA

$77 2.4%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 16.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,961 in Lakewood, WA and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Lakewood, WA vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lakewood, WA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

04:23 4:23 AM

1 h ahead of Lakewood, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

140,024

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

Lakewood, WA Nosara 5,390 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lakewood, 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

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

Lakewood, WA and Nosara differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($3,284 vs $1,835 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,926 in Lakewood, WA and $2,753 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,961 in Lakewood, WA versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $68.0 in Lakewood, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,284 per month in Lakewood, WA versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $3,284 in Lakewood, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Lakewood, WA. 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, Lakewood, WA 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 79% less than in Lakewood, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.