Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moses Lake, WA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,339 in Moses Lake, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Moses Lake, WA
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Moses Lake, WA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Moses Lake, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,339

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,339 per month in Moses Lake, WA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Moses Lake, WA $2,339
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $3,512 per month in Moses Lake, WA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Moses Lake, WA $3,512
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $4,685 per month in Moses Lake, WA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Moses Lake, WA $4,685
Nosara $3,818

Moses Lake, WA costs about 27% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Moses Lake, WA and Nosara sit above the global median – Moses Lake, WA by 73%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 $18.16

$12.35 ₡5,539

47.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 $79.5

$61.2 ₡27.4K

29.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$7.52 ₡3,373

61.84%

Cappuccino

$4.63 $4.63

$4.41 ₡1,978

4.99%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$1.74 ₡780

70.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.31 ₡587

87.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.28 ₡1,471

34.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$4.47 ₡2,004

84.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.56 ₡701

-52.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.02 ₡1,355

30.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.51 ₡1,125

68.13%

Eggs

$3.37 $3.37

$3.57 ₡1,603

-5.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 $9.18

$7.43 ₡3,333

23.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$10.52 ₡4,717

8.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$13.97 ₡6,265

-3.08%

Apples (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.35 ₡1,052

158.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.61 ₡720

3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$4.80 ₡2,152

10.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$1.61 ₡724

244.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.80 ₡1,703

-6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.69 ₡1,657

-13.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.13 ₡507

153.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.66 ₡1,191

-19.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.36 $11.36

$5.18 ₡2,321

119.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$19.88 ₡8,916

-25.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.90 ₡1,300

-37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.63 ₡1,626

11.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.12 ₡504

80.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.14 ₡958

13.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.42 $30.42

$8.52 ₡3,823

257.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.52 ₡682

-26.97%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

42.53%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.96%

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

$155 $155

$96.3 ₡43.2K

61.11%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$35.89 ₡16.1K

93.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.6 $76.6

$53.6 ₡24.0K

42.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 $40.77

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-43.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 $11.93

$7.89 ₡3,539

51.20%

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

$1,131 $1,131

$494 ₡221.6K

128.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.8K $30.8K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

160.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-3.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.78 $24.78

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-55.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.41 $47.41

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-39.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 $81.1

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 $1,491

$788 ₡353.4K

89.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 $1,173

$794 ₡356.2K

47.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 $2,281

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-42.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,046 $2,046

$1,419 ₡636.5K

44.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 $2,678

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-61.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,822 $2,822

$1,224 ₡549.0K

130.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,110 $9,110

$864 ₡387.3K

954.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

8.62

-20.53%

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

Last update for Moses Lake, WA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moses Lake, WA

$1.2K 50.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 32.3% $378

Groceries & Markets

Moses Lake, WA

$393 16.8%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 10.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moses Lake, WA

$301 12.9%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 38.3% $115

Eating Out

Moses Lake, WA

$298 12.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 28.8% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Moses Lake, WA

$93 4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 29.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Moses Lake, WA

$65 2.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 35.2% $23

Getting Around

Moses Lake, WA

$18 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 375% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,491 in Moses Lake, WA versus $788 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 955% higher in Moses Lake, WA, 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 $80.0 in Moses Lake, WA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Moses Lake, WA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

01:36 1:36 AM

1 h ahead of Moses Lake, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,146

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Moses Lake, WA Nosara 5,200 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Moses Lake, WA
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

Moses Lake, WA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moses Lake, WA costs about 27% 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 $3,509 per month in Moses Lake, WA and $2,758 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 $80.0 in Moses Lake, WA and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Moses Lake, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Moses Lake, WA at $2,339. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moses Lake, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,339 in Moses Lake, WA. 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, Moses Lake, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.