Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olympia, WA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,954 in Olympia, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Olympia, WA
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Olympia, WA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Olympia, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,954

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,954 per month in Olympia, WA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Olympia, WA $2,954
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,132 per month in Olympia, WA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Olympia, WA $4,132
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,310 per month in Olympia, WA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Olympia, WA $5,310
Nosara $3,818

Olympia, WA costs about 61% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Olympia, WA and Nosara sit above the global median – Olympia, WA by 119%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.73 $24.73

$12.35 ₡5,539

100.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 $63.9

$61.2 ₡27.4K

4.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.36 $12.36

$7.52 ₡3,373

64.36%

Cappuccino

$6.20 $6.20

$4.41 ₡1,978

40.59%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$1.74 ₡780

64.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.31 ₡587

28.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.28 ₡1,471

118.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$4.47 ₡2,004

58.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.56 ₡701

-30.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.02 ₡1,355

50.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.51 ₡1,125

28.29%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$3.57 ₡1,603

40.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.09 $18.09

$7.43 ₡3,333

143.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 $10.50

$10.52 ₡4,717

-0.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 $16.86

$13.97 ₡6,265

20.69%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.35 ₡1,052

116.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.61 ₡720

0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.80 ₡2,152

-17.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.61 ₡724

183.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.80 ₡1,703

-30.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.69 ₡1,657

-34.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.13 ₡507

112.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.66 ₡1,191

-6.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.74 $12.74

$5.18 ₡2,321

145.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$19.88 ₡8,916

-24.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.90 ₡1,300

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.63 ₡1,626

-34.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.12 ₡504

-23.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.14 ₡958

135.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.57 ₡703

71.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 $51.8

$8.52 ₡3,823

507.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.52 ₡682

-14.47%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

69.03%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-26.78%

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

$160 $160

$96.3 ₡43.2K

65.79%

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

$70.5 $70.5

$35.89 ₡16.1K

96.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.5 $95.5

$53.6 ₡24.0K

78.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.7 $68.7

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-4.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.09 $5.09

$34.91 ₡15.7K

-85.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 $11.88

$7.89 ₡3,539

50.57%

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

$1,455 $1,455

$494 ₡221.6K

194.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.71 $44.71

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-17.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 $54.6

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-1.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$77.9 ₡34.9K

15.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$79.6 ₡35.7K

28.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,717 $1,717

$788 ₡353.4K

117.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 $1,585

$794 ₡356.2K

99.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,131 $3,131

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-20.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,338 $2,338

$1,419 ₡636.5K

64.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,139 $3,139

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-54.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,980 $2,980

$1,224 ₡549.0K

143.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,022 $5,022

$864 ₡387.3K

481.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

8.62

-21.00%

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

Last update for Olympia, 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

Olympia, WA

$1.6K 53.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 49.9% $791

Groceries & Markets

Olympia, WA

$420 14.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 16.1% $68

Eating Out

Olympia, WA

$377 12.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 43.9% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olympia, WA

$326 11%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 43% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Olympia, WA

$131 4.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 8.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Olympia, WA

$92 3.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 5.5% $5.1

Getting Around

Olympia, WA

$22 * 0.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 298% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,717 in Olympia, 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 482% higher in Olympia, 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 $64.0 in Olympia, WA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Olympia, WA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

18:51 6:51 PM

1 h ahead of Olympia, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,605

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Olympia, WA Nosara 5,410 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Olympia, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,954 in Olympia, WA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 61% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,431 per month in Olympia, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Olympia, WA 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 19% more in Olympia, WA, 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 $1,839, than in Olympia, WA at $2,954. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Olympia, 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 $2,954 in Olympia, 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, Olympia, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.