Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waukesha, WI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,062 in Waukesha, WI, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Waukesha, WI despite lower rent and utilities.

98

Cost of Living Index in Waukesha, WI
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Waukesha, WI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Waukesha, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,062

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,062 per month in Waukesha, WI vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Waukesha, WI $2,062
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,984 per month in Waukesha, WI vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Waukesha, WI $2,984
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $3,905 per month in Waukesha, WI vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Waukesha, WI $3,905
Nosara $3,712

Waukesha, WI costs about 12% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Waukesha, WI and Nosara sit above the global median – Waukesha, WI by 54%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 $17.04

$12.22 ₡5,509

39.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$60.2 ₡27.1K

24.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 $11.14

$7.54 ₡3,399

47.75%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$4.31 ₡1,941

16.94%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$1.72 ₡773

59.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.35 ₡608

45.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.24 ₡1,459

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 $7.64

$4.48 ₡2,018

70.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.57 ₡707

-46.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.17 ₡1,429

2.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.42 ₡1,091

84.71%

Eggs

$3.53 $3.53

$3.57 ₡1,609

-1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$7.43 ₡3,349

16.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$10.42 ₡4,697

10.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$13.66 ₡6,156

24.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.32 ₡1,044

126.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.61 ₡728

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$4.74 ₡2,138

-24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$1.66 ₡747

207.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$3.72 ₡1,679

-53.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.57 ₡1,611

-26.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.10 ₡497

53.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.55 ₡1,149

-24.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.32 $8.32

$4.95 ₡2,232

68.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 $11.21

$20.01 ₡9,020

-43.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.79 ₡1,256

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.53 ₡1,589

-0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.19 ₡537

63.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.0 $51.0

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-29.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.24 ₡1,011

26.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.55 ₡701

2.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.35 $21.35

$8.86 ₡3,993

140.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.57 ₡708

-36.94%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

12.81%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-27.23%

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

$200 $200

$93.5 ₡42.1K

113.89%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$35.11 ₡15.8K

47.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 $60.1

$51.5 ₡23.2K

16.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.24 $49.24

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-31.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.35 $14.35

$7.84 ₡3,535

83.04%

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

$1,508 $1,508

$490 ₡220.7K

208.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

100.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$53.5 ₡24.1K

1.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 $40.95

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-26.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 $88.1

$79.3 ₡35.7K

11.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.1 $74.1

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-6.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$786 ₡354.3K

25.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 $807

$780 ₡351.6K

3.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 $1,624

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-57.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 $1,201

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-14.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,242 $2,242

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-67.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,261 $2,261

$1,201 ₡541.3K

88.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,330 $4,330

$876 ₡395.0K

394.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

8.62

-24.25%

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

Last update for Waukesha, WI: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waukesha, WI

$807 39.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 3.3% $27

Groceries & Markets

Waukesha, WI

$362 17.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 3.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waukesha, WI

$312 15.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 42.3% $132

Eating Out

Waukesha, WI

$294 14.4%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 28.7% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Waukesha, WI

$116 5.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 4% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Waukesha, WI

$78 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 11.7% $9.1

Getting Around

Waukesha, WI

$70 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 24.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Waukesha, WI 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 394% higher in Waukesha, WI, 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 $75.0 in Waukesha, WI versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waukesha, WI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

12:22 12:22 PM

1 h behind Waukesha, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,158

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

Waukesha, WI Nosara 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Waukesha, WI
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

Waukesha, WI vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,062 in Waukesha, WI, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,093 per month in Waukesha, WI 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 41% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,508 per month in Waukesha, WI 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 Waukesha, WI at $2,062. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waukesha, WI 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 $2,062 in Waukesha, WI. 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, Waukesha, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.