Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milwaukee, WI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Milwaukee, WI
Learn more

Milwaukee, WI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,502

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Milwaukee, WI $2,502
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,628 in Milwaukee, WI versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Milwaukee, WI $3,628
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,754 in Milwaukee, WI versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Milwaukee, WI $4,754
Nosara $3,712

Living in Milwaukee, WI is roughly 36% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milwaukee, WI 87% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 $20.33

$12.22 ₡5,509

66.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$60.2 ₡27.1K

22.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.54 ₡3,399

30.64%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$4.31 ₡1,941

19.26%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$1.72 ₡773

66.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.35 ₡608

50.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.24 ₡1,459

90.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 $7.61

$4.48 ₡2,018

69.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.57 ₡707

-49.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.17 ₡1,429

11.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.42 ₡1,091

116.12%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$3.57 ₡1,609

24.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 $10.06

$7.43 ₡3,349

35.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$10.42 ₡4,697

31.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$13.66 ₡6,156

20.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.32 ₡1,044

129.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.61 ₡728

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.74 ₡2,138

-4.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$1.66 ₡747

211.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.72 ₡1,679

-30.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.57 ₡1,611

-27.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.10 ₡497

111.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.55 ₡1,149

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 $10.88

$4.95 ₡2,232

119.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.90 $15.90

$20.01 ₡9,020

-20.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.79 ₡1,256

-29.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.53 ₡1,589

-2.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.19 ₡537

82.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 $71.0

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-1.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.24 ₡1,011

26.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.55 ₡701

1.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.67 $20.67

$8.86 ₡3,993

133.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.57 ₡708

-36.94%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

64.09%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-26.03%

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

$198 $198

$93.5 ₡42.1K

112.01%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$35.11 ₡15.8K

95.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$51.5 ₡23.2K

39.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 $43.29

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-39.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.72 $18.72

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-47.18%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 $14.19

$7.84 ₡3,535

80.99%

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

$1,803 $1,803

$490 ₡220.7K

268.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

105.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 $54.9

$53.5 ₡24.1K

2.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.46 $40.46

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-27.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 $91.7

$79.3 ₡35.7K

15.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$78.9 ₡35.6K

48.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 $1,757

$786 ₡354.3K

123.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 $1,189

$780 ₡351.6K

52.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 $2,804

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-27.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 $1,837

$1,407 ₡634.4K

30.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 $2,741

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-60.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,683 $1,683

$1,201 ₡541.3K

40.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,747 $3,747

$876 ₡395.0K

327.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

8.62

-22.85%

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

Last update for Milwaukee, WI: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milwaukee, WI

$1.2K 46.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 34.4% $409

Groceries & Markets

Milwaukee, WI

$409 16%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 14.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milwaukee, WI

$338 13.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 46.8% $158

Eating Out

Milwaukee, WI

$319 12.5%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 34.4% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Milwaukee, WI

$137 5.4%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 12.1% $17

Getting Around

Milwaukee, WI

$90 3.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 3.9% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Milwaukee, WI

$72 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 21.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,757 in Milwaukee, WI and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milwaukee, WI pays 328% 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: $74.0 in Milwaukee, WI vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Milwaukee, WI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

1 h behind Milwaukee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

605,013

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 = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Milwaukee, WI Nosara 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Milwaukee, 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

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

Milwaukee, WI and Nosara differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,502 vs $1,837 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 328% higher in Milwaukee, WI, 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: $1,757 in Milwaukee, WI versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,502 per month in Milwaukee, WI versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 2% less than in Milwaukee, WI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,502 in Milwaukee, WI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Milwaukee, WI. 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, Milwaukee, WI 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 36% less than in Milwaukee, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.