Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between University Place, WA and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,851 in University Place, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in University Place, WA
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University Place, WA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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University Place, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,851

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,851 per month in University Place, WA vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

University Place, WA $2,851
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $4,224 per month in University Place, WA vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

University Place, WA $4,224
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,598 per month in University Place, WA vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

University Place, WA $5,598
Nosara $3,814

University Place, WA costs about 55% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both University Place, WA and Nosara sit above the global median – University Place, WA by 110%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 $25.22

$12.34 ₡5,535

104.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$61.3 ₡27.5K

63.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.06 $12.06

$7.76 ₡3,481

55.41%

Cappuccino

$5.89 $5.89

$4.44 ₡1,992

32.66%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$1.79 ₡803

73.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.29 ₡580

140.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.24 ₡1,451

141.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$4.43 ₡1,985

84.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.55 ₡696

-25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.24 $4.24

$3.08 ₡1,380

37.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$2.53 ₡1,133

126.09%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$3.45 ₡1,546

45.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.27 $16.27

$7.32 ₡3,284

122.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.24 ₡4,594

82.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.43 $23.43

$14.10 ₡6,326

66.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$2.29 ₡1,027

158.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.64 ₡737

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.79 ₡2,149

7.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.64 ₡735

184.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.85 ₡1,727

-7.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.75 ₡1,681

-22.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.09 ₡488

86.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.59 ₡1,160

15.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.15 $12.15

$5.12 ₡2,295

137.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 $17.78

$19.92 ₡8,931

-10.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.80 ₡1,255

-36.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.52 ₡1,580

35.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.22 ₡549

70.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.17 ₡973

18.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.56 ₡698

8.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.67 $29.67

$8.67 ₡3,886

242.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.55 ₡697

-10.32%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.48%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.00%

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

$231 $231

$94.8 ₡42.5K

143.20%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$36.15 ₡16.2K

96.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.1 $87.1

$53.1 ₡23.8K

64.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.92 $40.92

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-44.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$18.14 $18.14

$7.91 ₡3,548

129.33%

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

$2,127 $2,127

$490 ₡219.9K

333.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

165.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$54.8 ₡24.6K

9.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.92 $44.92

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-19.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 $129

$80.4 ₡36.0K

60.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$77.9 ₡34.9K

63.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 $1,569

$801 ₡359.1K

95.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$790 ₡354.1K

65.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 $2,513

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-37.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,123 $2,123

$1,409 ₡632.0K

50.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,448 $2,448

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-65.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 $2,307

$1,236 ₡554.3K

86.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,911 $7,911

$887 ₡397.6K

792.38%

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 University Place, WA: 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

University Place, WA

$1.3K 45.8%

Nosara

$790 43% 39.6% $517

Groceries & Markets

University Place, WA

$507 17.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 31.1% $158

Eating Out

University Place, WA

$389 13.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 45.3% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

University Place, WA

$389 13.6%

Nosara

$184 10% 52.7% $205

Clothing & Footwear

University Place, WA

$162 5.7%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 25.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

University Place, WA

$77 2.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 16.1% $12

Getting Around

University Place, WA

$19 * 0.7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 358% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,569 in University Place, WA 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 792% higher in University Place, 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 $100 in University Place, WA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $507 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 University Place, WA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

1 h ahead of University Place, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,866

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

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Between locations

University Place, WA Nosara 5,400 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

University Place, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,851 in University Place, WA, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 55% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,276 per month in University Place, WA 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 $100 in University Place, 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 45% more in University Place, 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 $1,835, than in University Place, WA at $2,851. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in University Place, 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 $1,835 in Nosara to $2,851 in University Place, 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, University Place, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.