Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Appleton, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,097 in Appleton, WI, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Appleton, WI
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Appleton, WI Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,097

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Appleton, WI

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Appleton, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $2,097 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Appleton, WI $2,097

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $3,238 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Appleton, WI $3,238

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $4,380 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Appleton, WI $4,380

Nosara is about 12% cheaper than Appleton, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Appleton, WI sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Appleton, WI by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$17.91 $17.91

-31.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$66.1 $66.1

-8.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$11.11 $11.11

-32.13%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$5.23 $5.23

-17.59%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.63 $2.63

-34.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$2.27 $2.27

-40.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$4.61 $4.61

-29.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$6.20 $6.20

-27.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.98 $0.98

60.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$3.00 $3.00

5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$5.15 $5.15

-53.01%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.71 $4.71

-24.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$14.34 $14.34

-48.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$8.43 $8.43

23.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$15.31 $15.31

-10.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$5.02 $5.02

-53.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.32 $1.32

21.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$3.09 $3.09

53.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$4.32 $4.32

-61.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.06 $2.06

80.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.78 $2.78

28.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.18 $2.18

-49.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$3.13 $3.13

-18.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$10.86 $10.86

-54.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$15.14 $15.14

32.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.68 $1.68

66.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$3.48 $3.48

1.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$3.29 $3.29

-31.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.42 $1.42

9.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$24.47 $24.47

-63.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.02 $1.02

53.92%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$36.3K $36.3K

-39.93%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$24.7K $24.7K

40.17%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$176 $176

-46.99%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$44.67 $44.67

-21.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$60.6 $60.6

-15.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$23.78 $23.78

200.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$41.09 $41.09

-13.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$14.48 $14.48

-45.86%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$1,512 $1,512

-67.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$31.2K $31.2K

-61.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$39.33 $39.33

36.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$25.09 $25.09

122.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$50.9 $50.9

55.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$109 $109

-27.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,501 $1,501

-47.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,017 $1,017

-23.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,804 $1,804

113.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,910 $1,910

-26.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,320 $2,320

200.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,268 $2,268

-47.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$4,011 $4,011

-78.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.37

35.32%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Appleton, WI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Appleton, WI

$1K 47.6% 30.3% $237

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Appleton, WI

$381 17.8% 9% $31

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Appleton, WI

$294 13.8% 40.6% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Appleton, WI

$282 13.2% 56.4% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Appleton, WI

$101 4.7% 16.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Appleton, WI

$53 2.5% 39.4% $34

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Appleton, WI

$10 * 0.5% 88% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $1,501 in Appleton, WI. 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 358% higher in Appleton, 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $66.0 in Appleton, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $381 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Appleton, WI

🕒 Local time

23:22 11:22 PM

00:22 12:22 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

74,139

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Appleton, WI 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Appleton, WI

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

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

Yes – Appleton, WI is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $3,145 in Appleton, WI. 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 $60.0 in Nosara and $66.0 in Appleton, WI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Appleton, WI, 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 $1,837, than in Appleton, WI at $2,097. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Appleton, 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, Appleton, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.