Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,994 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,994 per month in Madison, WI vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Madison, WI $2,994
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,424 per month in Madison, WI vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Madison, WI $4,424
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,854 per month in Madison, WI vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Madison, WI $5,854
Nosara $3,712

Madison, WI costs about 63% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Madison, WI and Nosara sit above the global median – Madison, WI by 123%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.62 $19.62

$12.22 ₡5,509

60.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 $68.0

$60.2 ₡27.1K

12.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 $13.07

$7.54 ₡3,399

73.34%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.31 ₡1,941

30.63%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$1.72 ₡773

83.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.35 ₡608

87.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$3.24 ₡1,459

118.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$4.48 ₡2,018

83.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.57 ₡707

-37.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.17 ₡1,429

8.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.42 ₡1,091

70.66%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$3.57 ₡1,609

1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.92 $14.92

$7.43 ₡3,349

100.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$10.42 ₡4,697

27.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.06 $20.06

$13.66 ₡6,156

46.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.32 ₡1,044

104.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.61 ₡728

0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$4.74 ₡2,138

12.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.66 ₡747

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.72 ₡1,679

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$3.57 ₡1,611

-12.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.10 ₡497

99.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.55 ₡1,149

-5.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 $10.77

$4.95 ₡2,232

117.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 $15.75

$20.01 ₡9,020

-21.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.79 ₡1,256

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.53 ₡1,589

25.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.19 ₡537

73.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 $65.5

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-9.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.24 ₡1,011

77.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.55 ₡701

30.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.09 $43.09

$8.86 ₡3,993

386.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.57 ₡708

-35.67%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

65.09%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-26.02%

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

$269 $269

$93.5 ₡42.1K

187.99%

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

$52.5 $52.5

$35.11 ₡15.8K

49.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.8 $83.8

$51.5 ₡23.2K

62.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 $58.4

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.54 $10.54

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-70.26%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$7.84 ₡3,535

94.77%

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

$1,705 $1,705

$490 ₡220.7K

248.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

93.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 $63.0

$53.5 ₡24.1K

17.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 $50.0

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-10.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$79.3 ₡35.7K

35.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$78.9 ₡35.6K

53.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 $1,789

$786 ₡354.3K

127.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 $1,572

$780 ₡351.6K

101.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,177 $3,177

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-17.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,407 ₡634.4K

82.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,524 $4,524

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-35.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 $2,489

$1,201 ₡541.3K

107.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 $4,383

$876 ₡395.0K

400.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

8.62

-22.39%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madison, WI

$1.6K 51.1%

Nosara

$780 43% 50.4% $793

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$432 14%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 19.2% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$405 13.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 55.6% $225

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$338 11%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 38.1% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$154 5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 21.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$89 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 2.1% $1.9

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$88 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 1.1% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Madison, WI versus $786 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 400% higher in Madison, 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 $68.0 in Madison, WI versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $432 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:21 10:21 PM

21:21 9:21 PM

1 h behind Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Madison, WI Nosara 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Madison, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,994 in Madison, WI, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,491 per month in Madison, WI and $2,756 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.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,705 per month in Madison, WI and $490 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 $1,837, than in Madison, WI at $2,994. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madison, 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $2,994 in Madison, 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, Madison, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.