Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merrill, WI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,669 in Merrill, WI, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Merrill, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,669

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,669 per month in Merrill, WI vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Merrill, WI $2,669
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,917 per month in Merrill, WI vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Merrill, WI $3,917
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,164 per month in Merrill, WI vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Merrill, WI $5,164
Nosara $3,814

Merrill, WI costs about 45% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Merrill, WI and Nosara sit above the global median – Merrill, WI by 97%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$12.34 ₡5,535

61.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 $73.8

$61.3 ₡27.5K

20.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 $11.41

$7.76 ₡3,481

47.04%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$4.44 ₡1,992

17.57%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.79 ₡803

52.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.29 ₡580

54.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.24 ₡1,451

79.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$4.43 ₡1,985

62.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.55 ₡696

-31.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.08 ₡1,380

16.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.53 ₡1,133

69.96%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$3.45 ₡1,546

17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$7.32 ₡3,284

70.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.25 $11.25

$10.24 ₡4,594

9.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 $17.16

$14.10 ₡6,326

21.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.29 ₡1,027

116.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.64 ₡737

-4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.79 ₡2,149

-12.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.64 ₡735

191.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.85 ₡1,727

-25.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.75 ₡1,681

-19.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.09 ₡488

93.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.59 ₡1,160

-15.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 $10.24

$5.12 ₡2,295

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$19.92 ₡8,931

-23.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.80 ₡1,255

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.52 ₡1,580

-3.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.22 ₡549

68.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$73.9 ₡33.1K

48.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.17 ₡973

46.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.56 ₡698

12.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.41 $30.41

$8.67 ₡3,886

250.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.55 ₡697

-37.42%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.60%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.58%

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

$197 $197

$94.8 ₡42.5K

107.65%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$36.15 ₡16.2K

60.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.8 $69.8

$53.1 ₡23.8K

31.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.50 $41.50

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-43.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 $8.82

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-75.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 $13.89

$7.91 ₡3,548

75.60%

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

$1,421 $1,421

$490 ₡219.9K

189.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

100.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 $53.1

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.32 $41.32

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-26.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 $90.2

$80.4 ₡36.0K

12.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$77.9 ₡34.9K

49.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 $1,625

$801 ₡359.1K

102.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 $1,295

$790 ₡354.1K

64.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,535 $2,535

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-36.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 $2,148

$1,409 ₡632.0K

52.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,743 $2,743

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-61.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,374 $2,374

$1,236 ₡554.3K

92.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,146 $7,146

$887 ₡397.6K

706.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Merrill, WI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Merrill, WI

$1.3K 48.5%

Nosara

$790 43% 39% $505

Groceries & Markets

Merrill, WI

$396 14.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 11.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merrill, WI

$325 12.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 43.3% $141

Eating Out

Merrill, WI

$319 11.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 33.3% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Merrill, WI

$135 5.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 10.7% $14

Getting Around

Merrill, WI

$130 4.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 31.7% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Merrill, WI

$69 2.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 29.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,625 in Merrill, 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 706% higher in Merrill, 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 $74.0 in Merrill, WI versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $396 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Merrill, WI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:45 3:45 PM

14:45 2:45 PM

1 h behind Merrill, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,000

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

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

From you

Merrill, 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

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

Yes – Merrill, WI is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,004 per month in Merrill, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Merrill, WI and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,669 in Merrill, WI and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 45%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Merrill, WI at $2,669. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Merrill, WI 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, Merrill, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.