Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Wausau, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Wausau, WI: $1,726 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nosara outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Wausau, WI
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Wausau, WI Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Wausau, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,726 in Wausau, WI, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Wausau, WI $1,726

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,735 in Wausau, WI, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Wausau, WI $2,735

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $3,743 in Wausau, WI, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Wausau, WI $3,743

Nosara costs about 6% more than Wausau, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nosara and Wausau, WI sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Wausau, WI by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$19.87 $19.87

-38.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$75.2 $75.2

-19.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.71 $8.71

-13.43%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$4.85 $4.85

-11.13%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$2.82 $2.82

-39.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$1.94 $1.94

-30.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$5.62 $5.62

-42.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$5.42 $5.42

-17.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.85 $0.85

84.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.84 $2.84

11.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$5.26 $5.26

-53.99%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$4.66 $4.66

-23.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$8.62 $8.62

-13.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.80 $6.80

53.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$13.53 $13.53

0.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.17 $4.17

-44.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$1.53 $1.53

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$4.02 $4.02

17.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$4.10 $4.10

-59.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$1.86 $1.86

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$2.44 $2.44

46.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.25 $2.25

-51.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.99 $0.99

157.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$8.60 $8.60

-42.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$8.92 $8.92

124.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.95 $1.95

43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.20 $2.20

60.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.76 $2.76

-18.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$1.58 $1.58

-1.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$20.77 $20.77

-57.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.81 $0.81

93.83%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$36.3K $36.3K

-39.99%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$25.0K $25.0K

38.78%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$157 $157

-40.60%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$68.3 $68.3

-48.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$71.5 $71.5

-27.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$30.56 $30.56

133.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$5.93 $5.93

32.21%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$1,806 $1,806

-72.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$24.6K $24.6K

-51.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$24.53 $24.53

118.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$40.50 $40.50

37.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$65.8 $65.8

20.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$83.5 $83.5

-5.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$928 $928

-15.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$698 $698

11.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,565 $1,565

146.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,398 $1,398

0.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$1,662 $1,662

319.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,714 $1,714

-29.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$3,486 $3,486

-74.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.65

29.62%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Wausau, WI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Wausau, WI

$698 39.8% 10.6% $82

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Wausau, WI

$307 17.5% 12.2% $43

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Wausau, WI

$301 17.2% 43.9% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Wausau, WI

$297 17% 65% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Wausau, WI

$96 5.5% 19.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Wausau, WI

$42 2.4% 51.3% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Wausau, WI

$11 * 0.6% 87.7% $76

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 $928 in Wausau, WI. 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 298% higher in Wausau, WI, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $75.0 in Wausau, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $307 in Wausau, WI – so Wausau, WI wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Wausau, WI

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

38,435

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 12, 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Wausau, WI 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Wausau, 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 Wausau, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,837 in Nosara, $1,726 in Wausau, WI – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,589 in Wausau, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wausau, WI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara and $75.0 in Wausau, WI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Wausau, WI, where all-in costs run around $1,726, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Wausau, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,726 in Wausau, WI to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Wausau, WI. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.