Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacoma, WA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,977 in Tacoma, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,977

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,977 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $2,977
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $4,468 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $4,468
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $5,960 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Tacoma, WA $5,960
Nosara $3,712

Tacoma, WA costs about 62% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tacoma, WA and Nosara sit above the global median – Tacoma, WA by 122%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.07 $25.07

$12.22 ₡5,509

105.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$60.2 ₡27.1K

31.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$7.54 ₡3,399

61.01%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$4.31 ₡1,941

29.23%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$1.72 ₡773

83.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.35 ₡608

89.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$3.24 ₡1,459

111.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 $6.88

$4.48 ₡2,018

53.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.57 ₡707

-28.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.17 ₡1,429

29.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.42 ₡1,091

144.21%

Eggs

$5.53 $5.53

$3.57 ₡1,609

54.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$7.43 ₡3,349

119.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$21.87 $21.87

$10.42 ₡4,697

109.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.38 $23.38

$13.66 ₡6,156

71.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.32 ₡1,044

121.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.61 ₡728

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$4.74 ₡2,138

-10.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.66 ₡747

180.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.72 ₡1,679

-25.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.57 ₡1,611

-18.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.10 ₡497

57.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.55 ₡1,149

29.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.22 $12.22

$4.95 ₡2,232

146.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 $18.82

$20.01 ₡9,020

-5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.79 ₡1,256

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 $5.00

$3.53 ₡1,589

41.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.19 ₡537

67.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 $63.1

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-12.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.24 ₡1,011

12.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.55 ₡701

5.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 $29.56

$8.86 ₡3,993

233.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.57 ₡708

-14.01%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

70.41%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-21.19%

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

$230 $230

$93.5 ₡42.1K

146.26%

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

$92.7 $92.7

$35.11 ₡15.8K

163.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$51.5 ₡23.2K

71.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 $42.21

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-40.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 $18.21

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-48.62%

Cinema Ticket

$16.97 $16.97

$7.84 ₡3,535

116.45%

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

$2,105 $2,105

$490 ₡220.7K

329.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

164.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 $61.2

$53.5 ₡24.1K

14.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.72 $43.72

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-21.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$79.3 ₡35.7K

8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$78.9 ₡35.6K

61.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 $1,725

$786 ₡354.3K

119.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$780 ₡351.6K

85.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,797 $2,797

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-27.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,420 $2,420

$1,407 ₡634.4K

71.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,896 $4,896

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-29.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,482 $3,482

$1,201 ₡541.3K

190.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,817 $4,817

$876 ₡395.0K

449.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

8.62

-22.97%

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

Last update for Tacoma, WA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tacoma, WA

$1.4K 47.3%

Nosara

$780 43% 46% $664

Groceries & Markets

Tacoma, WA

$519 17%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 32.7% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacoma, WA

$411 13.5%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 56.2% $231

Eating Out

Tacoma, WA

$375 12.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 44.1% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Tacoma, WA

$143 4.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 16% $23

Getting Around

Tacoma, WA

$82 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 6.3% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Tacoma, WA

$76 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 14.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,725 in Tacoma, WA 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 450% higher in Tacoma, 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 $79.0 in Tacoma, WA versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $519 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tacoma, WA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

08:17 8:17 AM

1 h ahead of Tacoma, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,346

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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 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

Tacoma, WA Nosara 5,390 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tacoma, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,977 in Tacoma, WA, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 62% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,465 per month in Tacoma, WA 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 14% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,105 per month in Tacoma, WA 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 Tacoma, WA at $2,977. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tacoma, 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 $1,837 in Nosara to $2,977 in Tacoma, 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, Tacoma, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.