Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Bonney Lake, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,663 in Bonney Lake, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Bonney Lake, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Bonney Lake, WA

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 Bonney Lake, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $2,663 in Bonney Lake, WA, rent included.

  • Nosara $1,837
  • Bonney Lake, WA $2,663

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $3,872 in Bonney Lake, WA, rent included.

  • Nosara $2,775
  • Bonney Lake, WA $3,872

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $5,080 in Bonney Lake, WA, rent included.

  • Nosara $3,712
  • Bonney Lake, WA $5,080

Nosara is about 31% cheaper than Bonney Lake, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Bonney Lake, WA sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Bonney Lake, WA by 99%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Bonney Lake, WA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.22 ₡5,509
$25.17 $25.17
-51.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.2 ₡27.1K
$68.1 $68.1
-11.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.54 ₡3,399
$12.08 $12.08
-37.58%
Cappuccino
$4.31 ₡1,941
$5.76 $5.76
-25.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡773
$2.81 $2.81
-38.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₡608
$1.67 $1.67
-19.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,459
$6.93 $6.93
-53.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.48 ₡2,018
$6.85 $6.85
-34.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Bonney Lake, WA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡707
$1.08 $1.08
45.37%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 ₡1,429
$4.04 $4.04
-21.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 ₡1,091
$3.06 $3.06
-20.92%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,609
$5.09 $5.09
-29.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,349
$16.20 $16.20
-54.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.42 ₡4,697
$10.48 $10.48
-0.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.66 ₡6,156
$16.51 $16.51
-17.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 ₡1,044
$4.92 $4.92
-52.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡728
$1.64 $1.64
-1.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 ₡2,138
$3.93 $3.93
20.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 ₡747
$4.47 $4.47
-62.86%
Potato (1kg)
$3.72 ₡1,679
$2.69 $2.69
38.29%
Onion (1kg)
$3.57 ₡1,611
$2.43 $2.43
46.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ₡497
$1.76 $1.76
-37.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 ₡1,149
$2.28 $2.28
11.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.95 ₡2,232
$12.03 $12.03
-58.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.01 ₡9,020
$14.90 $14.90
34.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.79 ₡1,256
$1.76 $1.76
58.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 ₡1,589
$2.44 $2.44
44.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Bonney Lake, WA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 ₡537
$2.02 $2.02
-41.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 ₡1,011
$2.55 $2.55
-12.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 ₡701
$1.69 $1.69
-8.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.86 ₡3,993
$30.53 $30.53
-70.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡708
$1.33 $1.33
18.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₡9.8M
$35.6K $35.6K
-38.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K ₡15.6M
$25.7K $25.7K
34.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Bonney Lake, WA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.5 ₡42.1K
$229 $229
-59.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.11 ₡15.8K
$91.0 $91.0
-61.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.5 ₡23.2K
$88.4 $88.4
-41.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Bonney Lake, WA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.4 ₡32.2K
$26.76 $26.76
166.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.84 ₡3,535
$16.81 $16.81
-53.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Bonney Lake, WA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡220.7K
$1,442 $1,442
-66.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.4M
$32.6K $32.6K
-63.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Bonney Lake, WA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ₡24.1K
$60.0 $60.0
-10.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 ₡25.1K
$45.10 $45.10
23.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 ₡35.7K
$85.2 $85.2
-6.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.9 ₡35.6K
$104 $104
-23.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Bonney Lake, WA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$786 ₡354.3K
$1,590 $1,590
-50.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$780 ₡351.6K
$1,298 $1,298
-39.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,860 ₡1.7M
$2,545 $2,545
51.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 ₡634.4K
$2,123 $2,123
-33.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,972 ₡3.1M
$2,780 $2,780
150.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,201 ₡541.3K
$2,357 $2,357
-49.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Bonney Lake, WA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$876 ₡395.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
6.09
41.54%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bonney Lake, WA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$780
Bonney Lake, WA
$1.3K 66.5% $518
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Bonney Lake, WA
$398 13.8% $48
Eating Out
Nosara
$209
Bonney Lake, WA
$373 78.1% $164
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$180
Bonney Lake, WA
$409 127% $229
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Bonney Lake, WA
$132 9.8% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Bonney Lake, WA
$60 30.7% $27
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Bonney Lake, WA
$19 * 78% $68

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 $1,590 in Bonney Lake, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $68.0 in Bonney Lake, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $398 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇺🇸 Bonney Lake, WA
🕒 Local time
07:52 7:52 AM
06:52 6:52 AM
1 h behind Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
22,487
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Bonney Lake, WA 5,370 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Bonney Lake, WA

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 Bonney Lake, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bonney Lake, WA cheaper than Nosara?
Yes – Bonney Lake, WA is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $3,995 in Bonney Lake, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Nosara and in Bonney Lake, WA?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $2,663 in Bonney Lake, WA. That's a gap of about 45%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $1,442 in Bonney Lake, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Nosara or in Bonney Lake, WA?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Bonney Lake, WA at $2,663. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bonney Lake, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Nosara or Bonney Lake, WA more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Nosara or Bonney Lake, WA?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bonney Lake, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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