Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa, IL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,633 in Ottawa, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ottawa, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

119

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa, IL
Learn more

Ottawa, IL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Ottawa, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,633

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,633 per month in Ottawa, IL vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Ottawa, IL $2,633
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,645 per month in Ottawa, IL vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Ottawa, IL $3,645
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,657 per month in Ottawa, IL vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Ottawa, IL $4,657
Nosara $3,814

Ottawa, IL costs about 43% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ottawa, IL and Nosara sit above the global median – Ottawa, IL by 94%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 $14.83

$12.34 ₡5,535

20.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 $61.0

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-0.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 $10.18

$7.76 ₡3,481

31.19%

Cappuccino

$4.76 $4.76

$4.44 ₡1,992

7.21%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$1.79 ₡803

25.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.29 ₡580

31.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.24 ₡1,451

66.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 $5.61

$4.43 ₡1,985

26.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.55 ₡696

-45.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.08 ₡1,380

-1.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.53 ₡1,133

18.97%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$3.45 ₡1,546

13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 $12.23

$7.32 ₡3,284

67.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 $6.20

$10.24 ₡4,594

-39.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$14.10 ₡6,326

-11.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.29 ₡1,027

46.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.64 ₡737

-13.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$4.79 ₡2,149

-35.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.64 ₡735

164.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.85 ₡1,727

-45.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.75 ₡1,681

-38.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.09 ₡488

101.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.59 ₡1,160

-50.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.60 $12.60

$5.12 ₡2,295

146.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$19.92 ₡8,931

-25.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.80 ₡1,255

-25.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.52 ₡1,580

15.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.22 ₡549

68.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.17 ₡973

17.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.56 ₡698

-1.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.12 $33.12

$8.67 ₡3,886

282.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.55 ₡697

-24.52%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-20.56%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-29.93%

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

$234 $234

$94.8 ₡42.5K

147.22%

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

$45.76 $45.76

$36.15 ₡16.2K

26.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$53.1 ₡23.8K

26.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.21 $39.21

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-46.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.53 $26.53

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-25.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 $11.26

$7.91 ₡3,548

42.35%

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

$1,001 $1,001

$490 ₡219.9K

104.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

64.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.96 $47.96

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-12.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.88 $46.88

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-16.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$80.4 ₡36.0K

42.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$77.9 ₡34.9K

55.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 $1,641

$801 ₡359.1K

104.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 $1,483

$790 ₡354.1K

87.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,846 $2,846

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-28.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 $2,203

$1,409 ₡632.0K

56.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,779 $2,779

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-60.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,237 $2,237

$1,236 ₡554.3K

80.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,448 $2,448

$887 ₡397.6K

176.10%

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 Ottawa, IL: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ottawa, IL

$1.5K 56.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 46.8% $693

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ottawa, IL

$347 13.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 47% $163

Groceries & Markets

Ottawa, IL

$314 11.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 11.3% $36

Eating Out

Ottawa, IL

$260 9.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 18.3% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Ottawa, IL

$149 5.7%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 18.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Ottawa, IL

$62 2.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 45.2% $28

Getting Around

Ottawa, IL

$18 * 0.7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 381% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,641 in Ottawa, 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 176% higher in Ottawa, 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 $61.0 in Ottawa, IL versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $350 – making Ottawa, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ottawa, IL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:13 10:13 PM

21:13 9:13 PM

1 h behind Ottawa, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,342

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ottawa, IL Nosara 3,500 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ottawa, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,633 in Ottawa, IL, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,950 per month in Ottawa, 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 $61.0 in Ottawa, IL and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Ottawa, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Ottawa, IL at $2,633. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ottawa, 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 $2,633 in Ottawa, 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, Ottawa, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.