Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oak Harbor, WA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $3,280 in Oak Harbor, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

159

Cost of Living Index in Oak Harbor, WA
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Oak Harbor, WA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Oak Harbor, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,280

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oak Harbor, WA and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oak Harbor, WA and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,280 per month in Oak Harbor, WA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Oak Harbor, WA $3,280
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,561 per month in Oak Harbor, WA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Oak Harbor, WA $4,561
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,843 per month in Oak Harbor, WA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Oak Harbor, WA $5,843
Nosara $3,818

Oak Harbor, WA costs about 78% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Oak Harbor, WA and Nosara sit above the global median – Oak Harbor, WA by 143%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.15 $18.15

$12.35 ₡5,539

46.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 $69.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

13.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.78 $18.78

$7.52 ₡3,373

149.73%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$4.41 ₡1,978

22.45%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.74 ₡780

39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.31 ₡587

20.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.28 ₡1,471

145.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 $7.29

$4.47 ₡2,004

63.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.56 ₡701

4.49%

White Bread (500g)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.02 ₡1,355

51.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$2.51 ₡1,125

158.57%

Eggs

$5.57 $5.57

$3.57 ₡1,603

56.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.14 $20.14

$7.43 ₡3,333

171.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$10.52 ₡4,717

23.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.75 $24.75

$13.97 ₡6,265

77.17%

Apples (1kg)

$8.01 $8.01

$2.35 ₡1,052

240.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.61 ₡720

-18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$4.80 ₡2,152

43.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$1.61 ₡724

321.74%

Potato (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.80 ₡1,703

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$3.69 ₡1,657

25.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.13 ₡507

123.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.66 ₡1,191

-16.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.79 $9.79

$5.18 ₡2,321

89.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.51 $14.51

$19.88 ₡8,916

-27.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.90 ₡1,300

-4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.63 ₡1,626

8.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.12 ₡504

80.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.85 $29.85

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-58.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.14 ₡958

52.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.57 ₡703

-2.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.59 $29.59

$8.52 ₡3,823

247.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.52 ₡682

-23.68%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

66.65%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.39%

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

$378 $378

$96.3 ₡43.2K

292.43%

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

$63.4 $63.4

$35.89 ₡16.1K

76.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.3 $97.3

$53.6 ₡24.0K

81.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.66 $34.66

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-51.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$7.89 ₡3,539

87.07%

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

$1,503 $1,503

$494 ₡221.6K

204.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

93.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 $58.2

$53.9 ₡24.2K

7.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.18 $38.18

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-31.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 $132

$77.9 ₡34.9K

69.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 $195

$79.6 ₡35.7K

144.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,343 $2,343

$788 ₡353.4K

197.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 $1,571

$794 ₡356.2K

97.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,239 $3,239

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-17.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,344 $2,344

$1,419 ₡636.5K

65.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,045 $4,045

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-41.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,142 $4,142

$1,224 ₡549.0K

238.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,295 $3,295

$864 ₡387.3K

281.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-18.79%

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

Last update for Oak Harbor, WA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oak Harbor, WA

$1.6K 47.9%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 49.5% $777

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oak Harbor, WA

$539 16.4%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 65.5% $353

Groceries & Markets

Oak Harbor, WA

$529 16.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 33.4% $177

Eating Out

Oak Harbor, WA

$337 10.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 37.2% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Oak Harbor, WA

$190 5.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 36.9% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Oak Harbor, WA

$64 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 36.1% $23

Getting Around

Oak Harbor, WA

$49 1.5%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 78.3% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,343 in Oak Harbor, WA versus $788 in Nosara. 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 282% higher in Oak Harbor, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Oak Harbor, WA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $529 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oak Harbor, WA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

07:40 7:40 AM

1 h ahead of Oak Harbor, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,622

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Oak Harbor, WA Nosara 5,480 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Oak Harbor, WA
Nosara

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

Oak Harbor, WA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,280 in Oak Harbor, WA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 78% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,919 per month in Oak Harbor, WA and $2,758 in Nosara. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 143% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,503 per month in Oak Harbor, WA and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Oak Harbor, WA at $3,280. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oak Harbor, WA 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 $1,839 in Nosara to $3,280 in Oak Harbor, WA. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oak Harbor, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.