Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sioux City, IA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,192 in Sioux City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Sioux City, IA
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Sioux City, IA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sioux City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,192

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,192 per month in Sioux City, IA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Sioux City, IA $2,192
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,334 per month in Sioux City, IA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Sioux City, IA $3,334
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,477 per month in Sioux City, IA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Sioux City, IA $4,477
Nosara $3,712

Sioux City, IA costs about 19% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sioux City, IA and Nosara sit above the global median – Sioux City, IA by 64%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.27 $20.27

$12.22 ₡5,509

65.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.2 $54.2

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-10.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 $10.45

$7.54 ₡3,399

38.59%

Cappuccino

$6.02 $6.02

$4.31 ₡1,941

39.68%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$1.72 ₡773

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.35 ₡608

31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.24 ₡1,459

53.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.48 ₡2,018

31.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.57 ₡707

-43.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.17 ₡1,429

-6.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.42 ₡1,091

33.47%

Eggs

$3.52 $3.52

$3.57 ₡1,609

-1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 $8.35

$7.43 ₡3,349

12.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$10.42 ₡4,697

-27.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.89 $16.89

$13.66 ₡6,156

23.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.32 ₡1,044

106.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.61 ₡728

-1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$4.74 ₡2,138

-11.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.66 ₡747

137.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.72 ₡1,679

-49.46%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.57 ₡1,611

33.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.10 ₡497

110.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.55 ₡1,149

-14.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.13 $9.13

$4.95 ₡2,232

84.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$20.01 ₡9,020

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.79 ₡1,256

-39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.53 ₡1,589

-16.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.19 ₡537

55.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.11 $47.11

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-34.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.24 ₡1,011

-11.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.55 ₡701

-18.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.21 $20.21

$8.86 ₡3,993

128.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.57 ₡708

-44.59%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

66.30%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-28.24%

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

$165 $165

$93.5 ₡42.1K

76.54%

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

$52.4 $52.4

$35.11 ₡15.8K

49.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$51.5 ₡23.2K

33.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 $98.8

$71.4 ₡32.2K

38.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.20 $20.20

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-43.00%

Cinema Ticket

$15.17 $15.17

$7.84 ₡3,535

93.49%

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

$1,089 $1,089

$490 ₡220.7K

122.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K $11.8K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-0.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.23 $43.23

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-19.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.84 $21.84

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-60.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 $76.7

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-3.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 $88.8

$78.9 ₡35.6K

12.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$786 ₡354.3K

20.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 $945

$780 ₡351.6K

21.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 $1,480

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-61.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 $1,690

$1,407 ₡634.4K

20.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,540 $1,540

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-77.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,535 $1,535

$1,201 ₡541.3K

27.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,593 $3,593

$876 ₡395.0K

309.99%

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 Sioux City, IA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sioux City, IA

$945 43.2%

Nosara

$780 43% 17.5% $165

Groceries & Markets

Sioux City, IA

$344 15.7%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 1.5% $5.2

Eating Out

Sioux City, IA

$318 14.5%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 34.2% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sioux City, IA

$286 13.1%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 37.1% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Sioux City, IA

$129 5.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 32.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Sioux City, IA

$104 4.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 16% $17

Getting Around

Sioux City, IA

$63 2.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 38.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Sioux City, IA versus $786 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 310% higher in Sioux City, IA, 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 $54.0 in Sioux City, IA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $350 – making Sioux City, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sioux City, IA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

01:51 1:51 AM

00:51 12:51 AM

1 h behind Sioux City, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,797

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sioux City, IA Nosara 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Sioux City, IA
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

Sioux City, IA vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,192 in Sioux City, IA, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,288 per month in Sioux City, IA and $2,756 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 53% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,089 per month in Sioux City, IA 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 $1,837, than in Sioux City, IA at $2,192. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sioux City, IA 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $2,192 in Sioux City, IA. 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, Sioux City, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.