Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oak Lawn, IL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,586 in Oak Lawn, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Oak Lawn, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

119

Cost of Living Index in Oak Lawn, IL
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Oak Lawn, IL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Oak Lawn, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,586

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,586 per month in Oak Lawn, IL vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Oak Lawn, IL $2,586
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,492 per month in Oak Lawn, IL vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Oak Lawn, IL $3,492
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,398 per month in Oak Lawn, IL vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Oak Lawn, IL $4,398
Nosara $3,814

Oak Lawn, IL costs about 41% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Oak Lawn, IL and Nosara sit above the global median – Oak Lawn, IL by 91%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 $15.26

$12.34 ₡5,535

23.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 $62.8

$61.3 ₡27.5K

2.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 $7.77

$7.76 ₡3,481

0.13%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$4.44 ₡1,992

22.30%

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

$2.16 $2.16

$1.79 ₡803

20.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.29 ₡580

-12.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.24 ₡1,451

58.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.43 ₡1,985

16.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.55 ₡696

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.08 ₡1,380

-23.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.53 ₡1,133

34.78%

Eggs

$3.76 $3.76

$3.45 ₡1,546

8.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 $11.16

$7.32 ₡3,284

52.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 $8.61

$10.24 ₡4,594

-15.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$14.10 ₡6,326

-6.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.29 ₡1,027

41.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.64 ₡737

18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.79 ₡2,149

-31.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.64 ₡735

100.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.85 ₡1,727

-44.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$3.75 ₡1,681

-70.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.09 ₡488

88.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.59 ₡1,160

-21.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.87 $9.87

$5.12 ₡2,295

92.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 $9.96

$19.92 ₡8,931

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.80 ₡1,255

-26.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.52 ₡1,580

-5.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.22 ₡549

68.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.95 $49.95

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-32.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.17 ₡973

147.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.56 ₡698

80.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.46 $17.46

$8.67 ₡3,886

101.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.55 ₡697

-27.74%

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

$15.9K $15.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-54.02%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-30.20%

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

$220 $220

$94.8 ₡42.5K

131.96%

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

$53.0 $53.0

$36.15 ₡16.2K

46.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$53.1 ₡23.8K

24.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 $42.21

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-42.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$20.35 $20.35

$7.91 ₡3,548

157.27%

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

$1,336 $1,336

$490 ₡219.9K

172.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K $12.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

6.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.58 $47.58

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-13.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.39 $25.39

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-54.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.0 $58.0

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-27.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.8 $50.8

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-34.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$801 ₡359.1K

99.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 $1,432

$790 ₡354.1K

81.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 $2,851

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-28.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 $1,945

$1,409 ₡632.0K

38.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,575 $2,575

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-63.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,733 $2,733

$1,236 ₡554.3K

121.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

8.62

-20.88%

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

Last update for Oak Lawn, IL: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oak Lawn, IL

$1.4K 55.4%

Nosara

$790 43% 44.8% $642

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oak Lawn, IL

$339 13.1%

Nosara

$184 10% 45.7% $155

Groceries & Markets

Oak Lawn, IL

$313 12.1%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 11.6% $36

Eating Out

Oak Lawn, IL

$260 10%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 18.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Oak Lawn, IL

$83 3.2%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 8.1% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Oak Lawn, IL

$82 3.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 48% $39

Getting Around

Oak Lawn, IL

$78 3%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 14.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,601 in Oak Lawn, IL versus $801 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Oak Lawn, IL versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Oak Lawn, IL vs $350 in Nosara – so Oak Lawn, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oak Lawn, IL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:26 5:26 PM

16:26 4:26 PM

1 h behind Oak Lawn, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,362

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

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

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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Oak Lawn, IL Nosara 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Oak Lawn, IL
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 Lawn, IL vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,586 in Oak Lawn, IL, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,879 per month in Oak Lawn, IL and $2,753 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 48% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,336 per month in Oak Lawn, IL and $490 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 $1,835, than in Oak Lawn, IL at $2,586. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oak Lawn, IL 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 $1,835 in Nosara to $2,586 in Oak Lawn, IL. 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 Lawn, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.