Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waco, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,447 in Waco, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Waco, TX
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Waco, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Waco, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,447

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,447 per month in Waco, TX vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Waco, TX $2,447
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,090 per month in Waco, TX vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Waco, TX $3,090
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,734 per month in Waco, TX vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Waco, TX $3,734
Nosara $3,712

Waco, TX costs about 33% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Waco, TX and Nosara sit above the global median – Waco, TX by 83%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.21 $15.21

$12.22 ₡5,509

24.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 $59.0

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-1.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$7.54 ₡3,399

61.54%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$4.31 ₡1,941

25.06%

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

$1.77 $1.77

$1.72 ₡773

2.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.35 ₡608

10.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.24 ₡1,459

52.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 $5.52

$4.48 ₡2,018

23.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.57 ₡707

-51.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.17 ₡1,429

-0.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.42 ₡1,091

-16.12%

Eggs

$2.78 $2.78

$3.57 ₡1,609

-22.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 $12.06

$7.43 ₡3,349

62.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$10.42 ₡4,697

-6.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 $11.67

$13.66 ₡6,156

-14.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.32 ₡1,044

65.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.61 ₡728

-30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$4.74 ₡2,138

-18.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.66 ₡747

123.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.72 ₡1,679

-38.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.57 ₡1,611

-19.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.10 ₡497

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.55 ₡1,149

-61.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.54 $8.54

$4.95 ₡2,232

72.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 $13.49

$20.01 ₡9,020

-32.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.79 ₡1,256

-39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.53 ₡1,589

7.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.19 ₡537

29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.12 $40.12

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-44.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 $9.93

$2.24 ₡1,011

343.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.55 ₡701

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.4 $59.4

$8.86 ₡3,993

570.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.57 ₡708

-43.31%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

66.13%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-27.78%

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

$175 $175

$93.5 ₡42.1K

87.75%

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

$40.53 $40.53

$35.11 ₡15.8K

15.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 $54.7

$51.5 ₡23.2K

6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.96 $27.96

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-60.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 $9.07

$7.84 ₡3,535

15.69%

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

$747 $747

$490 ₡220.7K

52.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K $18.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

52.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.91 $47.91

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-10.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.27 $38.27

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-31.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$79.3 ₡35.7K

7.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 $95.4

$78.9 ₡35.6K

20.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$786 ₡354.3K

58.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$780 ₡351.6K

70.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 $1,541

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-60.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 $1,374

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-2.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,970 $1,970

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-71.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,955 $1,955

$1,201 ₡541.3K

62.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,156 $3,156

$876 ₡395.0K

260.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

8.62

-24.71%

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

Last update for Waco, TX: 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

Waco, TX

$1.3K 55%

Nosara

$780 43% 41.3% $548

Groceries & Markets

Waco, TX

$312 12.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 11.9% $37

Eating Out

Waco, TX

$272 11.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 22.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waco, TX

$271 11.2%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 33.5% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Waco, TX

$120 5%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 0.2% $0.3

Getting Around

Waco, TX

$66 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 32.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Waco, TX

$46 1.9%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 88.9% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,244 in Waco, TX 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 260% higher in Waco, TX, 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 $59.0 in Waco, TX versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $350 – making Waco, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waco, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

06:41 6:41 AM

1 h behind Waco, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,486

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

Waco, TX Nosara 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Waco, TX
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

Waco, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,447 in Waco, TX, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,670 per month in Waco, TX 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 80% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $747 per month in Waco, TX 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 Waco, TX at $2,447. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waco, TX 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 $2,447 in Waco, TX. 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, Waco, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.