Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Lake Geneva, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Lake Geneva, WI
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Lake Geneva, WI Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Lake Geneva, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Lake Geneva, WI

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 Lake Geneva, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI.

Nosara $1,835
Lake Geneva, WI $2,464

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Nosara versus $3,622 in Lake Geneva, WI.

Nosara $2,825
Lake Geneva, WI $3,622

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,814 in Nosara versus $4,780 in Lake Geneva, WI.

Nosara $3,814
Lake Geneva, WI $4,780

Living in Nosara costs roughly 26% less than in Lake Geneva, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 35% above, Lake Geneva, WI 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$21.49 $21.49

-42.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$90.0 $90.0

-31.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$12.95 $12.95

-40.08%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$5.82 $5.82

-23.71%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.70 $2.70

-33.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$2.36 $2.36

-45.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$6.95 $6.95

-53.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$8.86 $8.86

-50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.01 $1.01

53.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.46 $2.46

25.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$5.06 $5.06

-50.00%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.00 $2.00

72.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$13.97 $13.97

-47.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$9.65 $9.65

6.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$9.92 $9.92

42.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.13 $4.13

-44.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.93 $1.93

-15.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$4.14 $4.14

15.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.72 $4.72

-65.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.66 $2.66

44.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.66 $2.66

40.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$2.21 $2.21

-50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.97 $2.97

-12.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$8.45 $8.45

-39.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$12.84 $12.84

55.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.66 $2.66

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.37 $3.37

4.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.15 $2.15

-43.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$3.30 $3.30

-34.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.36 $1.36

14.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$25.17 $25.17

-65.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.91 $0.91

70.33%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$35.4K $35.4K

-2.36%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$26.3K $26.3K

47.43%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$192 $192

-50.56%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$67.3 $67.3

-46.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$50.6 $50.6

4.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$42.35 $42.35

74.21%

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

$1,687 $1,687

-70.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$31.5K $31.5K

-62.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$66.7 $66.7

-17.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$50.7 $50.7

10.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$98.3 $98.3

-18.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$146 $146

-46.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$1,610 $1,610

-50.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$1,198 $1,198

-34.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$2,754 $2,754

45.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,911 $1,911

-26.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,513 $2,513

181.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,682 $2,682

-53.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$3,761 $3,761

-76.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.45

33.64%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lake Geneva, WI: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Lake Geneva, WI

$1.2K 48.6% 51.8% $409

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Lake Geneva, WI

$359 14.6% 2.6% $9.1

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Lake Geneva, WI

$353 14.3% 66.2% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Lake Geneva, WI

$310 12.6% 68.3% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Lake Geneva, WI

$163 6.6% 34.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Lake Geneva, WI

$63 2.5% 30.1% $27

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Lake Geneva, WI

$19 * 0.8% 78.9% $70

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 $1,610 in Lake Geneva, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lake Geneva, WI pays 324% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Nosara vs $90.0 in Lake Geneva, WI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $359 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Lake Geneva, WI

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

23:42 11:42 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

8,000

💱 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 Lake Geneva, WI 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Lake Geneva, WI

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 Lake Geneva, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Lake Geneva, WI differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,835 vs $2,464 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 324% lower in Lake Geneva, WI. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Nosara versus $1,610 in Lake Geneva, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $1,687 in Lake Geneva, WI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $90.0 in Lake Geneva, WI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Lake Geneva, WI. 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 Lake Geneva, WI 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 34% less than in Lake Geneva, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.