Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bloomington, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,258 in Bloomington, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Bloomington, IL
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Bloomington, IL Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Bloomington, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,258

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,258 in Bloomington, IL, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Bloomington, IL $2,258

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,264 in Bloomington, IL, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Bloomington, IL $3,264

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $4,270 in Bloomington, IL, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Bloomington, IL $4,270

Nosara is about 19% cheaper than Bloomington, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Bloomington, IL sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Bloomington, IL by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$17.84 $17.84

-30.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$78.4 $78.4

-21.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.98 $11.98

-35.23%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.24 $5.24

-15.27%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.42 $2.42

-26.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.69 $1.69

-23.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.65 $5.65

-42.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$7.18 $7.18

-38.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.09 $1.09

42.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.32 $2.32

32.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.24 $4.24

-40.33%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.71 $3.71

-7.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$13.39 $13.39

-45.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$7.76 $7.76

31.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$17.30 $17.30

-18.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$3.55 $3.55

-35.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.62 $1.62

1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$5.55 $5.55

-13.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$3.46 $3.46

-52.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$3.40 $3.40

13.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.66 $2.66

40.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.71 $2.71

-59.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.81 $2.81

-7.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$7.80 $7.80

-34.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$15.05 $15.05

32.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.93 $1.93

45.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.20 $3.20

10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.23 $1.23

-0.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

$40.70 $40.70

81.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.40 $3.40

-36.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.57 $1.57

-0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$40.78 $40.78

-78.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.95 $0.95

63.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.3K $27.3K

26.73%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$25.4K $25.4K

52.52%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$196 $196

-51.64%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$69.5 $69.5

-47.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$76.1 $76.1

-30.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$59.8 $59.8

23.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$10.13 $10.13

-21.92%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,426 $1,426

-65.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$23.8K $23.8K

-50.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$58.9 $58.9

-6.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$40.53 $40.53

37.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$86.6 $86.6

-7.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$121 $121

-35.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,275 $1,275

-37.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$970 $970

-18.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,784 $1,784

124.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,439 $1,439

-2.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,485 $1,485

375.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,309 $1,309

-5.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$4,544 $4,544

-80.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.72

28.27%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Bloomington, IL: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Bloomington, IL

$970 43% 22.9% $181

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Bloomington, IL

$370 16.4% 5.8% $20

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Bloomington, IL

$301 13.3% 41.3% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Bloomington, IL

$342 15.1% 85.7% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Bloomington, IL

$138 6.1% 14.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Bloomington, IL

$80 3.6% 10.7% $9.5

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Bloomington, IL

$57 2.5% 35.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,275 in Bloomington, 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 413% higher in Bloomington, 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 $78.0 in Bloomington, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $370 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Bloomington, IL

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

22:50 10:50 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

69,247

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Nosara
Bloomington, 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 Bloomington, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bloomington, IL costs about 23% 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 $3,387 in Bloomington, 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.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $1,426 in Bloomington, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Bloomington, IL, 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 $1,835, than in Bloomington, IL at $2,258. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bloomington, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,258 in Bloomington, 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, Bloomington, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.