Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between West Plains, MO and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,444 in West Plains, MO, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in West Plains, MO
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West Plains, MO Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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West Plains, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,444

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,444 per month in West Plains, MO vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

West Plains, MO $2,444
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,577 per month in West Plains, MO vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

West Plains, MO $3,577
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,710 per month in West Plains, MO vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

West Plains, MO $4,710
Nosara $3,814

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

Both West Plains, MO and Nosara sit above the global median – West Plains, MO by 80%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 $16.86

$12.34 ₡5,535

36.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 $75.9

$61.3 ₡27.5K

23.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 $10.91

$7.76 ₡3,481

40.59%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$4.44 ₡1,992

15.77%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$1.79 ₡803

65.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.29 ₡580

81.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.24 ₡1,451

67.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.43 ₡1,985

47.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.55 ₡696

-29.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.08 ₡1,380

-11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.53 ₡1,133

6.32%

Eggs

$3.51 $3.51

$3.45 ₡1,546

1.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 $10.12

$7.32 ₡3,284

38.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.08 $12.08

$10.24 ₡4,594

17.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.83 $22.83

$14.10 ₡6,326

61.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.29 ₡1,027

113.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.64 ₡737

-14.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$4.79 ₡2,149

-6.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.64 ₡735

128.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.85 ₡1,727

-28.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.75 ₡1,681

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.09 ₡488

81.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.59 ₡1,160

-26.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.38 $9.38

$5.12 ₡2,295

83.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.62 $13.62

$19.92 ₡8,931

-31.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.80 ₡1,255

-37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.52 ₡1,580

-50.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.22 ₡549

77.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.17 ₡973

17.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.56 ₡698

-5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 $24.44

$8.67 ₡3,886

181.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.55 ₡697

-40.65%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.81%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-31.99%

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

$218 $218

$94.8 ₡42.5K

129.72%

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

$60.1 $60.1

$36.15 ₡16.2K

66.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$53.1 ₡23.8K

29.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.73 $45.73

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-38.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 $13.09

$7.91 ₡3,548

65.49%

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

$1,049 $1,049

$490 ₡219.9K

114.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

60.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-6.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.46 $39.46

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-29.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 $83.5

$80.4 ₡36.0K

3.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$77.9 ₡34.9K

90.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 $1,592

$801 ₡359.1K

98.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 $1,196

$790 ₡354.1K

51.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,814 $2,814

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-29.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 $1,961

$1,409 ₡632.0K

39.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,467 $2,467

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-65.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,124 $2,124

$1,236 ₡554.3K

71.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

8.62

-21.69%

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

Last update for West Plains, MO: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

West Plains, MO

$1.2K 48.9%

Nosara

$790 43% 34% $407

Groceries & Markets

West Plains, MO

$375 15.3%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 6.8% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

West Plains, MO

$347 14.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 46.9% $162

Eating Out

West Plains, MO

$291 11.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 26.9% $78

Clothing & Footwear

West Plains, MO

$145 5.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 16.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

West Plains, MO

$72 2.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 24.6% $18

Getting Around

West Plains, MO

$19 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 378% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,592 in West Plains, MO 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in West Plains, MO versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 West Plains, MO

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

04:56 4:56 AM

1 h behind West Plains, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,184

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

West Plains, MO Nosara 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

West Plains, MO
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

West Plains, MO vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,444 in West Plains, MO, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,667 per month in West Plains, MO 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 $76.0 in West Plains, MO 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 7% more in West Plains, MO, 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 West Plains, MO at $2,444. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in West Plains, MO 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 $2,444 in West Plains, MO. 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, West Plains, MO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.