Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Barrington, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,677 in Barrington, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Barrington, IL
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Barrington, IL Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Barrington, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,677

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Barrington, IL

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 Barrington, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,677 in Barrington, IL, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Barrington, IL $2,677

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $4,008 in Barrington, IL, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Barrington, IL $4,008

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $5,339 in Barrington, IL, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Barrington, IL $5,339

Nosara is about 31% cheaper than Barrington, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Barrington, IL sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Barrington, IL by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$20.21 $20.21

-38.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$74.5 $74.5

-17.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.36 $11.36

-31.69%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.24 $5.24

-15.27%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.60 $2.60

-31.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.05 $2.05

-37.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.99 $5.99

-45.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$7.14 $7.14

-37.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.16 $1.16

33.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.79 $3.79

-18.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.33 $4.33

-41.57%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$4.27 $4.27

-19.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$15.24 $15.24

-51.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$11.09 $11.09

-7.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$17.23 $17.23

-18.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.76 $5.76

-60.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.98 $1.98

-17.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.59 $4.59

4.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$6.74 $6.74

-75.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.75 $2.75

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.17 $2.17

72.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.43 $2.43

-55.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.28 $2.28

13.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$10.15 $10.15

-49.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$17.22 $17.22

15.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.87 $1.87

49.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.42 $3.42

2.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.97 $1.97

-38.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$117 $117

-36.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.43 $3.43

-36.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.57 $1.57

-0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$33.06 $33.06

-73.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.17 $1.17

32.48%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.8K $27.8K

24.42%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$26.5K $26.5K

46.00%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$230 $230

-58.82%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$48.44 $48.44

-25.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$59.0 $59.0

-10.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$67.2 $67.2

9.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

$15.27 $15.27

133.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$14.61 $14.61

-45.86%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,481 $1,481

-66.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$27.6K $27.6K

-56.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$52.5 $52.5

4.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$41.21 $41.21

35.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$89.8 $89.8

-10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$112 $112

-30.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,604 $1,604

-50.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,222 $1,222

-35.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,526 $2,526

58.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,167 $2,167

-34.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,376 $2,376

197.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,187 $2,187

-43.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$5,760 $5,760

-84.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.57

31.20%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Barrington, IL: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Barrington, IL

$1.2K 45.7% 54.8% $433

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Barrington, IL

$430 16.1% 22.9% $80

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Barrington, IL

$322 12% 51.2% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Barrington, IL

$338 12.6% 83.5% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Barrington, IL

$133 5% 10% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Barrington, IL

$96 3.6% 7.6% $6.8

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Barrington, IL

$136 5.1% 52.9% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,604 in Barrington, IL. 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 550% higher in Barrington, IL, 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 $61.0 in Nosara versus $75.0 in Barrington, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $430 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Barrington, IL

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

01:49 1:49 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

10,772

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Barrington, IL 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Barrington, IL

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 Barrington, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barrington, IL costs about 46% 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 $2,753 per month in Nosara and $4,015 in Barrington, IL. 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.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $1,481 in Barrington, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Barrington, IL at $2,677. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barrington, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,677 in Barrington, IL. 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, Barrington, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.