Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Menomonie, WI and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Menomonie, WI and in Nosara: $1,857 and $1,835 a month, rent and utilities included.

90

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Menomonie, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,857

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,857 per month in Menomonie, WI vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Menomonie, WI $1,857
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,790 per month in Menomonie, WI vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Menomonie, WI $2,790
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,723 per month in Menomonie, WI vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Menomonie, WI $3,723
Nosara $3,814

Menomonie, WI costs about 1% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Menomonie, WI and Nosara sit above the global median – Menomonie, WI by 37%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.95 $19.95

$12.34 ₡5,535

61.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 $58.4

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-4.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 $11.59

$7.76 ₡3,481

49.36%

Cappuccino

$4.68 $4.68

$4.44 ₡1,992

5.41%

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

$1.26 $1.26

$1.79 ₡803

-29.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.29 ₡580

50.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.24 ₡1,451

-39.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$4.43 ₡1,985

-33.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.55 ₡696

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.08 ₡1,380

2.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.53 ₡1,133

0.40%

Eggs

$3.03 $3.03

$3.45 ₡1,546

-12.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.32 ₡3,284

68.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$10.24 ₡4,594

19.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 $15.16

$14.10 ₡6,326

7.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.29 ₡1,027

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.64 ₡737

-12.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$4.79 ₡2,149

10.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.64 ₡735

120.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.85 ₡1,727

-25.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.75 ₡1,681

-17.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.09 ₡488

79.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.59 ₡1,160

-10.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$5.12 ₡2,295

93.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 $10.97

$19.92 ₡8,931

-44.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.80 ₡1,255

-4.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.52 ₡1,580

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.22 ₡549

84.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.17 ₡973

79.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.56 ₡698

29.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.57 $44.57

$8.67 ₡3,886

414.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.55 ₡697

-36.13%

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

$21.1K $21.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-38.88%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-33.22%

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

$199 $199

$94.8 ₡42.5K

109.79%

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

$51.5 $51.5

$36.15 ₡16.2K

42.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.7 $78.7

$53.1 ₡23.8K

48.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.92 $40.92

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-44.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$9.68 $9.68

$7.91 ₡3,548

22.38%

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

$486 $486

$490 ₡219.9K

-0.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

93.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 $58.9

$54.8 ₡24.6K

7.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.01 $44.01

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-21.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 $83.8

$80.4 ₡36.0K

4.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$77.9 ₡34.9K

32.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 $929

$801 ₡359.1K

15.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 $666

$790 ₡354.1K

-15.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 $1,397

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-65.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 $1,166

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-17.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,827 $1,827

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-74.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,826 $1,826

$1,236 ₡554.3K

47.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,809 $1,809

$887 ₡397.6K

104.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

8.62

-28.07%

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

Last update for Menomonie, WI: 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

Menomonie, WI

$666 35.9%

Nosara

$790 43% 18.6% $124

Groceries & Markets

Menomonie, WI

$369 19.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 5.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Menomonie, WI

$329 17.7%

Nosara

$184 10% 44.1% $145

Eating Out

Menomonie, WI

$279 15%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 23.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Menomonie, WI

$131 7%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 7.3% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Menomonie, WI

$60 3.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 48.7% $29

Getting Around

Menomonie, WI

$23 * 1.2%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 286% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $929 in Menomonie, WI versus $801 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 104% higher in Menomonie, 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 $58.0 in Menomonie, WI versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $369 in Menomonie, WI vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Menomonie, WI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:19 12:19 AM

23:19 11:19 PM

1 h behind Menomonie, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,318

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

Menomonie, WI Nosara 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Menomonie, 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

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

Menomonie, WI costs about 1% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,785 per month in Menomonie, WI and $2,753 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 $1,857 in Menomonie, WI and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 1%.

Kindergarten costs $486 per month in Menomonie, 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 $1,835, than in Menomonie, WI at $1,857. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Menomonie, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $1,857 in Menomonie, WI. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Menomonie, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.