Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Chelan, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,685 in Chelan, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
129

Cost of Living Index in Chelan, WA
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Chelan, WA Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Chelan, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $2,685 in Chelan, WA, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Chelan, WA $2,685

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $3,965 in Chelan, WA, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Chelan, WA $3,965

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $5,245 in Chelan, WA, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Chelan, WA $5,245

Nosara is about 32% cheaper than Chelan, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Chelan, WA sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Chelan, WA by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,584

$25.39 $25.39

-51.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.7K

$101 $101

-39.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,512

$14.72 $14.72

-47.28%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡2,009

$6.52 $6.52

-31.90%

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

$1.79 ₡810

$3.21 $3.21

-44.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡585

$3.00 $3.00

-57.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,464

$7.99 $7.99

-59.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡2,003

$7.84 $7.84

-43.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡702

$1.08 $1.08

43.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,392

$3.37 $3.37

-8.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,143

$4.43 $4.43

-42.89%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,560

$4.95 $4.95

-30.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,313

$10.92 $10.92

-32.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,635

$6.57 $6.57

55.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,382

$11.16 $11.16

26.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,036

$4.27 $4.27

-46.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡744

$1.86 $1.86

-11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,168

$4.33 $4.33

10.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡742

$4.33 $4.33

-62.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,743

$2.16 $2.16

78.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,696

$2.26 $2.26

65.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$1.97 $1.97

-44.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,170

$2.51 $2.51

3.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,315

$9.25 $9.25

-44.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡9,010

$10.07 $10.07

97.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,266

$4.27 $4.27

-34.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,594

$5.10 $5.10

-30.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡554

$2.06 $2.06

-40.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.4K

$60.2 $60.2

22.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡982

$2.66 $2.66

-18.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡704

$1.64 $1.64

-4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,921

$30.33 $30.33

-71.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡703

$1.37 $1.37

13.14%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$34.5K $34.5K

0.17%

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

$38.7K ₡17.5M

$26.1K $26.1K

48.32%

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

$94.8 ₡42.9K

$254 $254

-62.68%

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

$36.15 ₡16.4K

$70.6 $70.6

-48.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡24.0K

$50.4 $50.4

5.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.4K

$46.44 $46.44

58.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.1K

$9.92 $9.92

259.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,579

$12.22 $12.22

-35.27%

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

$490 ₡221.8K

$3,059 $3,059

-83.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$31.3K $31.3K

-62.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.8K

$40.62 $40.62

34.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.3K

$25.47 $25.47

119.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.4K

$60.0 $60.0

33.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.2K

$99.6 $99.6

-21.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡362.3K

$1,568 $1,568

-48.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡357.2K

$1,299 $1,299

-39.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,478 $2,478

61.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡637.6K

$2,141 $2,141

-34.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,972 $2,972

137.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡559.2K

$2,492 $2,492

-50.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡401.1K

$4,061 $4,061

-78.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

43.67%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chelan, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Chelan, WA

$1.3K 48.4% 64.5% $510

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Chelan, WA

$353 13.2% 1% $3.6

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Chelan, WA

$406 15.1% 90.9% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Chelan, WA

$375 14% 104% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Chelan, WA

$102 3.8% 16% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Chelan, WA

$71 2.6% 20.9% $19

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Chelan, WA

$79 3% 10.6% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $1,568 in Chelan, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chelan, WA are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara versus $101 in Chelan, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $353 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Chelan, WA

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

17:54 5:54 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

4,200

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 452 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 507 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.97 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Chelan, WA 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Chelan, 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 Chelan, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chelan, WA 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 $4,028 in Chelan, WA. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $801 there versus $1,568 in Chelan, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Nosara and $101 in Chelan, WA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Chelan, WA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,835 in Nosara and $2,685 in Chelan, WA, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chelan, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.