Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oak Park, IL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,585 in Oak Park, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Oak Park, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,585

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,585 per month in Oak Park, IL vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Oak Park, IL $2,585
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,781 per month in Oak Park, IL vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Oak Park, IL $3,781
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,977 per month in Oak Park, IL vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Oak Park, IL $4,977
Nosara $3,814

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 $19.82

$12.34 ₡5,535

60.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$61.3 ₡27.5K

22.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 $11.41

$7.76 ₡3,481

47.04%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.44 ₡1,992

23.20%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$1.79 ₡803

51.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.29 ₡580

51.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.24 ₡1,451

86.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$4.43 ₡1,985

62.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.55 ₡696

-34.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.08 ₡1,380

14.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.53 ₡1,133

66.80%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$3.45 ₡1,546

19.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.11 $14.11

$7.32 ₡3,284

92.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$10.24 ₡4,594

10.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.89 $16.89

$14.10 ₡6,326

19.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.29 ₡1,027

117.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.64 ₡737

-4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$4.79 ₡2,149

-7.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.64 ₡735

172.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.85 ₡1,727

-29.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.75 ₡1,681

-26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.09 ₡488

76.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.59 ₡1,160

-1.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 $9.26

$5.12 ₡2,295

80.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$19.92 ₡8,931

-25.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.80 ₡1,255

-20.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.52 ₡1,580

-1.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.22 ₡549

40.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.17 ₡973

23.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.56 ₡698

26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.26 $33.26

$8.67 ₡3,886

283.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.55 ₡697

-32.90%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-24.92%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-37.73%

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

$198 $198

$94.8 ₡42.5K

108.42%

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

$59.2 $59.2

$36.15 ₡16.2K

63.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$53.1 ₡23.8K

33.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.92 $37.92

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-48.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 $12.41

$7.91 ₡3,548

56.89%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$490 ₡219.9K

197.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

94.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 $53.1

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-3.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.71 $43.71

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-21.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 $87.5

$80.4 ₡36.0K

8.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$77.9 ₡34.9K

58.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$801 ₡359.1K

96.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 $1,312

$790 ₡354.1K

66.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,550 $2,550

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-36.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 $2,168

$1,409 ₡632.0K

53.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,118 $3,118

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-55.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,251 $2,251

$1,236 ₡554.3K

82.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,703 $5,703

$887 ₡397.6K

543.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Oak Park, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oak Park, IL

$1.3K 50.8%

Nosara

$790 43% 39.8% $522

Groceries & Markets

Oak Park, IL

$403 15.6%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 13.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oak Park, IL

$328 12.7%

Nosara

$184 10% 43.8% $144

Eating Out

Oak Park, IL

$322 12.5%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 33.9% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Oak Park, IL

$139 5.4%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 12.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Oak Park, IL

$63 2.4%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 42.8% $27

Getting Around

Oak Park, IL

$19 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 357% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,575 in Oak Park, 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.

Salaries run about 543% higher in Oak Park, IL, 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 $75.0 in Oak Park, IL versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oak Park, IL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

10:17 10:17 AM

1 h behind Oak Park, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,583

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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Between locations

Oak Park, IL Nosara 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,585 in Oak Park, 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 $3,877 per month in Oak Park, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Oak Park, IL and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Oak Park, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Oak Park, IL at $2,585. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oak Park, 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 $2,585 in Oak Park, 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 Park, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.