Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mundelein, IL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,438 in Mundelein, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Mundelein, IL
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Mundelein, IL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mundelein, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,438

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,438 in Mundelein, IL versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Mundelein, IL $2,438
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,620 in Mundelein, IL versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Mundelein, IL $3,620
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,802 in Mundelein, IL versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Mundelein, IL $4,802
Nosara $3,814

Living in Mundelein, IL is roughly 33% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mundelein, IL 80% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 $16.19

$12.34 ₡5,535

31.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 $54.1

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-11.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 $7.90

$7.76 ₡3,481

1.80%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$4.44 ₡1,992

29.73%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$1.79 ₡803

78.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.29 ₡580

89.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 $6.90

$3.24 ₡1,451

112.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$4.43 ₡1,985

78.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.55 ₡696

-51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.08 ₡1,380

12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.53 ₡1,133

-14.23%

Eggs

$3.78 $3.78

$3.45 ₡1,546

9.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.69 $14.69

$7.32 ₡3,284

100.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.93 $12.93

$10.24 ₡4,594

26.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 $19.83

$14.10 ₡6,326

40.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.29 ₡1,027

91.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.64 ₡737

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$4.79 ₡2,149

8.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.64 ₡735

190.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.85 ₡1,727

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.75 ₡1,681

-18.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.09 ₡488

93.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.59 ₡1,160

-10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.62 $10.62

$5.12 ₡2,295

107.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$19.92 ₡8,931

-20.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.80 ₡1,255

-3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.52 ₡1,580

29.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.22 ₡549

83.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.17 ₡973

80.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.56 ₡698

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.95 $43.95

$8.67 ₡3,886

406.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.55 ₡697

-32.26%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-10.23%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-33.73%

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

$177 $177

$94.8 ₡42.5K

86.28%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$36.15 ₡16.2K

47.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.43 $45.43

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-14.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.55 $45.55

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-38.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$7.91 ₡3,548

91.91%

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

$1,713 $1,713

$490 ₡219.9K

249.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

93.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 $65.0

$54.8 ₡24.6K

18.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.73 $49.73

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-11.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$80.4 ₡36.0K

31.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$77.9 ₡34.9K

57.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 $1,483

$801 ₡359.1K

85.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 $1,199

$790 ₡354.1K

51.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,267 $2,267

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-43.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$1,409 ₡632.0K

50.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,043 $3,043

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-56.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,086 $2,086

$1,236 ₡554.3K

68.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 Mundelein, IL: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mundelein, IL

$1.2K 49.2%

Nosara

$790 43% 34.1% $409

Groceries & Markets

Mundelein, IL

$416 17.1%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 15.9% $66

Eating Out

Mundelein, IL

$295 12.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 28% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mundelein, IL

$276 11.3%

Nosara

$184 10% 33.2% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Mundelein, IL

$154 6.3%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 21.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Mundelein, IL

$76 3.1%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 18% $14

Getting Around

Mundelein, IL

$23 * 1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 284% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,483 in Mundelein, IL and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mundelein, IL vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $416 vs $350, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mundelein, IL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

22:46 10:46 PM

1 h behind Mundelein, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,560

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 →

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Between locations

Mundelein, IL Nosara 3,600 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mundelein, IL
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

Mundelein, IL vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,658 in Mundelein, IL and $2,753 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,483 in Mundelein, IL versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,713 in Mundelein, IL versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $54.0 in Mundelein, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,438 in Mundelein, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Mundelein, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mundelein, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mundelein, IL 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 33% less than in Mundelein, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.