Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Streamwood, IL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,519 in Streamwood, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Streamwood, IL
Learn more

Streamwood, IL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Streamwood, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,519

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,519 per month in Streamwood, IL vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Streamwood, IL $2,519
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,740 per month in Streamwood, IL vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Streamwood, IL $3,740
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,961 per month in Streamwood, IL vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Streamwood, IL $4,961
Nosara $3,814

Streamwood, IL costs about 37% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Streamwood, IL and Nosara sit above the global median – Streamwood, IL by 86%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.86 $19.86

$12.34 ₡5,535

60.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$61.3 ₡27.5K

23.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 $11.94

$7.76 ₡3,481

53.87%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$4.44 ₡1,992

21.40%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.79 ₡803

69.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.29 ₡580

93.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.24 ₡1,451

80.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$4.43 ₡1,985

76.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.55 ₡696

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.08 ₡1,380

13.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.53 ₡1,133

15.81%

Eggs

$3.57 $3.57

$3.45 ₡1,546

3.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$7.32 ₡3,284

38.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 $11.30

$10.24 ₡4,594

10.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.36 $14.36

$14.10 ₡6,326

1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.29 ₡1,027

108.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.64 ₡737

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.79 ₡2,149

-6.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$1.64 ₡735

193.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.85 ₡1,727

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.75 ₡1,681

-17.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.09 ₡488

41.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.59 ₡1,160

-42.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 $10.86

$5.12 ₡2,295

112.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$19.92 ₡8,931

-39.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.80 ₡1,255

-39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.52 ₡1,580

24.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.22 ₡549

67.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.10 $40.10

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-45.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.17 ₡973

88.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.56 ₡698

31.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.25 $44.25

$8.67 ₡3,886

410.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.55 ₡697

-29.68%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.78%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-35.06%

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

$173 $173

$94.8 ₡42.5K

82.50%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$36.15 ₡16.2K

40.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 $54.9

$53.1 ₡23.8K

3.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.70 $41.70

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-43.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.19 $8.19

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-77.01%

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 $15.23

$7.91 ₡3,548

92.54%

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

$1,505 $1,505

$490 ₡219.9K

206.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

95.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 $56.8

$54.8 ₡24.6K

3.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.21 $45.21

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-19.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 $98.2

$80.4 ₡36.0K

22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$77.9 ₡34.9K

30.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$801 ₡359.1K

101.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$790 ₡354.1K

62.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,495 $2,495

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-37.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 $2,185

$1,409 ₡632.0K

55.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-61.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$1,236 ₡554.3K

91.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,119 $7,119

$887 ₡397.6K

703.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

8.62

-25.41%

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

Last update for Streamwood, 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

Streamwood, IL

$1.3K 51.1%

Nosara

$790 43% 38.6% $497

Groceries & Markets

Streamwood, IL

$356 14.1%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 1.8% $6.3

Eating Out

Streamwood, IL

$326 13%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 34.9% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Streamwood, IL

$279 11.1%

Nosara

$184 10% 34% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Streamwood, IL

$136 5.4%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 11% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Streamwood, IL

$72 2.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 24.2% $17

Getting Around

Streamwood, IL

$63 2.5%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 41.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,616 in Streamwood, 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 703% higher in Streamwood, 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 $76.0 in Streamwood, IL versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Streamwood, IL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

11:47 11:47 AM

1 h behind Streamwood, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,535

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Streamwood, IL Nosara 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Streamwood, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,519 in Streamwood, IL, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,778 per month in Streamwood, 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 84% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,505 per month in Streamwood, 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 Streamwood, IL at $2,519. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Streamwood, 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 $2,519 in Streamwood, 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, Streamwood, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.