Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lewiston, ID and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,119 in Lewiston, ID, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Lewiston, ID
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Lewiston, ID Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lewiston, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,119

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,119 in Lewiston, ID versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Lewiston, ID $2,119
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,195 in Lewiston, ID versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Lewiston, ID $3,195
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,270 in Lewiston, ID versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Lewiston, ID $4,270
Nosara $3,814

Living in Lewiston, ID is roughly 15% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lewiston, ID 56% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 $19.87

$12.34 ₡5,535

61.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 $58.6

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-4.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.09 $13.09

$7.76 ₡3,481

68.69%

Cappuccino

$5.98 $5.98

$4.44 ₡1,992

34.68%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$1.79 ₡803

64.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.29 ₡580

70.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.24 ₡1,451

82.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$4.43 ₡1,985

55.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.55 ₡696

-30.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.08 ₡1,380

12.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.53 ₡1,133

66.80%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$3.45 ₡1,546

22.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.79 $12.79

$7.32 ₡3,284

74.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 $10.61

$10.24 ₡4,594

3.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 $16.82

$14.10 ₡6,326

19.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.29 ₡1,027

89.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.64 ₡737

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$4.79 ₡2,149

-10.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.64 ₡735

190.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.85 ₡1,727

-25.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.75 ₡1,681

-15.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.09 ₡488

99.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.59 ₡1,160

-11.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.34 $9.34

$5.12 ₡2,295

82.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.82 $16.82

$19.92 ₡8,931

-15.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.80 ₡1,255

-23.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.52 ₡1,580

-4.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.22 ₡549

83.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.17 ₡973

39.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.56 ₡698

7.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.90 $27.90

$8.67 ₡3,886

221.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.55 ₡697

-41.29%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.31%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-38.50%

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

$219 $219

$94.8 ₡42.5K

131.26%

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

$66.9 $66.9

$36.15 ₡16.2K

84.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$53.1 ₡23.8K

32.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.90 $37.90

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-48.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 $13.27

$7.91 ₡3,548

67.76%

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

$1,455 $1,455

$490 ₡219.9K

196.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K $24.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

105.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$54.8 ₡24.6K

7.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.32 $35.32

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-36.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 $96.3

$80.4 ₡36.0K

19.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$77.9 ₡34.9K

63.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 $1,036

$801 ₡359.1K

29.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$805 $805

$790 ₡354.1K

1.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-56.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 $1,488

$1,409 ₡632.0K

5.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,907 $2,907

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-58.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 $2,348

$1,236 ₡554.3K

89.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,623 $2,623

$887 ₡397.6K

195.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.54

8.62

-12.53%

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

Last update for Lewiston, ID: 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

Lewiston, ID

$805 38%

Nosara

$790 43% 2% $16

Groceries & Markets

Lewiston, ID

$396 18.7%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 11.6% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lewiston, ID

$356 16.8%

Nosara

$184 10% 48.3% $172

Eating Out

Lewiston, ID

$334 15.8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 36.3% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Lewiston, ID

$143 6.8%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 15.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Lewiston, ID

$64 3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 39.1% $25

Getting Around

Lewiston, ID

$20 * 1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 336% $68

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 $1,036 in Lewiston, ID and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lewiston, ID pays 196% 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: $59.0 in Lewiston, ID vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $396 vs $350, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lewiston, ID

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

09:16 9:16 AM

10:16 10:16 AM

1 h ahead of Lewiston, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,226

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

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Between locations

Lewiston, ID Nosara 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lewiston, ID
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

Lewiston, ID vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lewiston, ID and Nosara differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,119 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 196% higher in Lewiston, ID, 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: $1,036 in Lewiston, ID versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Lewiston, ID. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,119 per month in Lewiston, ID versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,119 in Lewiston, ID, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Lewiston, ID. 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, Lewiston, ID 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 15% less than in Lewiston, ID. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.