Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Effingham, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,500 in Effingham, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Effingham, IL
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Effingham, IL Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Effingham, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,500 in Effingham, IL.

Nosara $1,835
Effingham, IL $2,500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $3,556 in Effingham, IL.

Nosara $2,825
Effingham, IL $3,556

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $4,612 in Effingham, IL.

Nosara $3,814
Effingham, IL $4,612

Living in Nosara costs roughly 27% less than in Effingham, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Effingham, IL 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$15.06 $15.06

-18.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$44.89 $44.89

36.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.95 $11.95

-35.06%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.53 $5.53

-19.71%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$3.21 $3.21

-44.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.66 $2.66

-51.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.05 $5.05

-35.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$7.04 $7.04

-37.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.89 $0.89

74.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.40 $3.40

-9.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.48 $4.48

-43.53%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$3.67 $3.67

-5.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$12.49 $12.49

-41.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$10.81 $10.81

-5.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$16.77 $16.77

-15.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$5.72 $5.72

-59.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.45 $1.45

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.72 $4.72

1.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.37 $4.37

-62.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.23 $2.23

72.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$1.08 $1.08

247.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.45 $2.45

-55.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.43 $2.43

6.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$10.84 $10.84

-52.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$11.88 $11.88

67.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.00 $2.00

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.64 $3.64

-3.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$1.84 $1.84

-33.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.95 $1.95

11.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.76 $1.76

-11.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$33.78 $33.78

-74.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.99 $0.99

56.57%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$30.1K $30.1K

14.82%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$26.2K $26.2K

47.87%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$229 $229

-58.67%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$44.95 $44.95

-19.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$65.4 $65.4

-18.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$41.33 $41.33

78.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$14.98 $14.98

-47.20%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$1,729 $1,729

-71.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$24.1K $24.1K

-50.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$45.09 $45.09

21.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$35.03 $35.03

59.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$85.7 $85.7

-6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$65.2 $65.2

19.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,628 $1,628

-50.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,297 $1,297

-39.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,487 $2,487

61.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$2,146 $2,146

-34.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,804 $2,804

151.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,326 $2,326

-46.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 Effingham, IL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Effingham, IL

$1.3K 51.9% 64.3% $507

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Effingham, IL

$384 15.4% 9.9% $34

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Effingham, IL

$285 11.4% 34.2% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Effingham, IL

$340 13.6% 84.6% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Effingham, IL

$104 4.2% 14.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Effingham, IL

$71 2.9% 20.4% $18

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Effingham, IL

$18 * 0.7% 79.6% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Nosara and $1,628 in Effingham, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $45.00 in Effingham, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $384, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Effingham, IL

🕒 Local time

13:56 1:56 PM

14:56 2:56 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

12,447

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Effingham, IL 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Nosara and Effingham, IL differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,835 vs $2,500 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,753 in Nosara and $3,750 in Effingham, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $1,628 in Effingham, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Effingham, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,835 per month in Nosara versus $2,500 in Effingham, IL – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,500 in Effingham, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Effingham, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Effingham, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Effingham, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.