Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterloo, IA and Nosara

For one person, living costs are similar in Waterloo, IA and in Nosara: $1,795 and $1,839 a month, rent and utilities included.

87

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo, IA
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Waterloo, IA Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Waterloo, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,795

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,795 per month in Waterloo, IA vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Waterloo, IA $1,795
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,528 per month in Waterloo, IA vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Waterloo, IA $2,528
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Waterloo, IA vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Waterloo, IA $3,261
Nosara $3,818

Waterloo, IA is about 2% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Waterloo, IA and Nosara sit above the global median – Waterloo, IA by 33%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.07 $16.07

$12.35 ₡5,539

30.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 $56.6

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-7.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 $9.13

$7.52 ₡3,373

21.41%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$4.41 ₡1,978

32.20%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$1.74 ₡780

56.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.31 ₡587

54.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.28 ₡1,471

20.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.47 ₡2,004

82.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.56 ₡701

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 $2.41

$3.02 ₡1,355

-20.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.51 ₡1,125

-33.86%

Eggs

$3.64 $3.64

$3.57 ₡1,603

1.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$7.43 ₡3,333

75.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$10.52 ₡4,717

23.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 $17.68

$13.97 ₡6,265

26.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.35 ₡1,052

101.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.61 ₡720

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$4.80 ₡2,152

-20.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.61 ₡724

172.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$3.80 ₡1,703

-71.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.69 ₡1,657

-41.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.13 ₡507

69.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.66 ₡1,191

-40.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.91 $7.91

$5.18 ₡2,321

52.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 $13.83

$19.88 ₡8,916

-30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.90 ₡1,300

-7.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$3.63 ₡1,626

-50.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.14 ₡958

82.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.57 ₡703

23.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.17 $43.17

$8.52 ₡3,823

406.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.52 ₡682

-37.50%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

63.16%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.40%

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

$149 $149

$96.3 ₡43.2K

54.50%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$35.89 ₡16.1K

48.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 $60.6

$53.6 ₡24.0K

13.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.11 $27.11

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-62.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 $15.12

$7.89 ₡3,539

91.63%

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

$1,706 $1,706

$494 ₡221.6K

245.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

94.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.78 $19.78

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-63.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.89 $14.89

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-73.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.4 $60.4

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-22.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 $78.9

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 $860

$788 ₡353.4K

9.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 $740

$794 ₡356.2K

-6.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 $1,368

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-65.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 $943

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-33.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,511 $1,511

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-78.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,473 $1,473

$1,224 ₡549.0K

20.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,948 $3,948

$864 ₡387.3K

357.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

8.62

-22.39%

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

Last update for Waterloo, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waterloo, IA

$740 41.2%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 7.3% $54

Groceries & Markets

Waterloo, IA

$362 20.2%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 2.7% $9.8

Eating Out

Waterloo, IA

$281 15.7%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 24.6% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waterloo, IA

$263 14.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 29.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Waterloo, IA

$78 4.4%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 53.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Waterloo, IA

$57 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 52.3% $30

Getting Around

Waterloo, IA

$14 * 0.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 540% $74

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $860 in Waterloo, IA versus $788 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 357% higher in Waterloo, IA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Waterloo, IA versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Waterloo, IA vs $352 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waterloo, IA

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:44 1:44 PM

12:44 12:44 PM

1 h behind Waterloo, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,314

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Waterloo, IA Nosara 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Waterloo, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,795 in Waterloo, IA, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,693 per month in Waterloo, IA and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Waterloo, IA, 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 $57.0 in Waterloo, IA and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Nosara – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Waterloo, IA, where all-in costs run around $1,795, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Waterloo, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara 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 $1,795 in Waterloo, IA to $1,839 in Nosara. 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 Waterloo, IA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.