Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Normal, IL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,269 in Normal, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Normal, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,269

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,269 in Normal, IL versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Normal, IL $2,269
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,356 in Normal, IL versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Normal, IL $3,356
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,443 in Normal, IL versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Normal, IL $4,443
Nosara $3,814

Living in Normal, IL is roughly 24% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Normal, IL 67% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 $11.29

$12.34 ₡5,535

-8.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 $50.5

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-17.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$7.76 ₡3,481

26.55%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$4.44 ₡1,992

15.77%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$1.79 ₡803

89.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.29 ₡580

22.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 $5.27

$3.24 ₡1,451

62.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 $6.08

$4.43 ₡1,985

37.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.55 ₡696

-48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.08 ₡1,380

-14.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.53 ₡1,133

27.27%

Eggs

$3.84 $3.84

$3.45 ₡1,546

11.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 $8.95

$7.32 ₡3,284

22.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 $12.56

$10.24 ₡4,594

22.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 $18.70

$14.10 ₡6,326

32.62%

Apples (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$2.29 ₡1,027

186.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.64 ₡737

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$4.79 ₡2,149

36.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$1.64 ₡735

211.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.85 ₡1,727

-11.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$3.75 ₡1,681

-13.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.09 ₡488

88.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.59 ₡1,160

-10.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.32 $11.32

$5.12 ₡2,295

121.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 $10.96

$19.92 ₡8,931

-44.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.80 ₡1,255

-34.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.52 ₡1,580

-14.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.22 ₡549

110.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.0 $93.0

$73.9 ₡33.1K

25.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.17 ₡973

170.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.56 ₡698

-30.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.21 $18.21

$8.67 ₡3,886

110.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.55 ₡697

-41.29%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.73%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-31.48%

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

$274 $274

$94.8 ₡42.5K

188.97%

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

$97.9 $97.9

$36.15 ₡16.2K

170.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$53.1 ₡23.8K

21.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.78 $39.78

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-46.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 $11.80

$7.91 ₡3,548

49.18%

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

$1,055 $1,055

$490 ₡219.9K

115.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.33 $30.33

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-44.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 $39.25

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-29.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 $68.4

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-14.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 $153

$77.9 ₡34.9K

96.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 $994

$801 ₡359.1K

24.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 $895

$790 ₡354.1K

13.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,761 $1,761

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-56.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 $1,624

$1,409 ₡632.0K

15.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,700 $9,700

$7,064 ₡3.2M

37.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,253 $4,253

$887 ₡397.6K

379.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

8.62

-24.01%

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

Last update for Normal, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Normal, IL

$895 39.4%

Nosara

$790 43% 11.7% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Normal, IL

$436 19.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 57.8% $252

Groceries & Markets

Normal, IL

$390 17.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 10.3% $40

Eating Out

Normal, IL

$240 10.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 11.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Normal, IL

$131 5.8%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 7.5% $9.9

Getting Around

Normal, IL

$115 5.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 22.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Normal, IL

$63 2.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 41.4% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Normal, IL and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Normal, IL pays 380% 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: $50.0 in Normal, IL vs $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $350, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Normal, IL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

21:12 9:12 PM

1 h behind Normal, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,497

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

Normal, IL Nosara 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Normal, 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

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

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Normal, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 380% higher in Normal, IL, 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: $994 in Normal, IL versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $50.0 in Normal, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,269 per month in Normal, IL versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,269 in Normal, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Normal, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Normal, 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 24% less than in Normal, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.