Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wheaton, IL and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,571 in Wheaton, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Wheaton, IL
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Wheaton, IL Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Wheaton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,571

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,571 per month in Wheaton, IL vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Wheaton, IL $2,571
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,945 per month in Wheaton, IL vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Wheaton, IL $3,945
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $5,320 per month in Wheaton, IL vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Wheaton, IL $5,320
Nosara $3,814

Wheaton, IL costs about 40% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wheaton, IL and Nosara sit above the global median – Wheaton, IL by 90%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 $16.13

$12.34 ₡5,535

30.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 $69.3

$61.3 ₡27.5K

13.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.99 $11.99

$7.76 ₡3,481

54.51%

Cappuccino

$5.56 $5.56

$4.44 ₡1,992

25.23%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$1.79 ₡803

72.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.29 ₡580

80.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.24 ₡1,451

118.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$4.43 ₡1,985

84.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.55 ₡696

-43.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.08 ₡1,380

-8.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.53 ₡1,133

13.83%

Eggs

$3.67 $3.67

$3.45 ₡1,546

6.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.92 $9.92

$7.32 ₡3,284

35.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$10.24 ₡4,594

8.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 $14.89

$14.10 ₡6,326

5.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.29 ₡1,027

103.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.64 ₡737

-3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$4.79 ₡2,149

-38.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.64 ₡735

30.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$3.85 ₡1,727

-55.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.75 ₡1,681

-16.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.09 ₡488

73.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.59 ₡1,160

-6.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.98 $8.98

$5.12 ₡2,295

75.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 $11.90

$19.92 ₡8,931

-40.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.80 ₡1,255

-19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.52 ₡1,580

-22.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.03 $5.03

$1.22 ₡549

312.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$73.9 ₡33.1K

36.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.17 ₡973

88.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.56 ₡698

-48.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.88 $43.88

$8.67 ₡3,886

406.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.55 ₡697

-33.55%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-33.20%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-34.85%

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

$174 $174

$94.8 ₡42.5K

82.98%

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

$51.7 $51.7

$36.15 ₡16.2K

42.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$53.1 ₡23.8K

29.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.62 $34.62

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-53.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$12.08 $12.08

$7.91 ₡3,548

52.72%

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

$1,698 $1,698

$490 ₡219.9K

246.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

97.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 $57.7

$54.8 ₡24.6K

5.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 $34.98

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-37.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$80.4 ₡36.0K

8.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$77.9 ₡34.9K

30.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,011 $2,011

$801 ₡359.1K

151.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 $1,321

$790 ₡354.1K

67.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,753 $2,753

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-31.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,583 $2,583

$1,409 ₡632.0K

83.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,537 $5,537

$887 ₡397.6K

524.51%

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 Wheaton, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wheaton, IL

$1.3K 51.4%

Nosara

$790 43% 40.2% $531

Groceries & Markets

Wheaton, IL

$337 13.1%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 3.8% $13

Eating Out

Wheaton, IL

$305 11.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 30.3% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wheaton, IL

$294 11.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 37.4% $110

Getting Around

Wheaton, IL

$129 5%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 31.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Wheaton, IL

$127 4.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 4.5% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Wheaton, IL

$59 2.3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 52.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,011 in Wheaton, IL 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 525% higher in Wheaton, IL, 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 $69.0 in Wheaton, IL versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $337 in Wheaton, IL vs $350 in Nosara – so Wheaton, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wheaton, IL

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

21:49 9:49 PM

1 h behind Wheaton, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,611

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

Wheaton, IL Nosara 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Wheaton, IL
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

Wheaton, IL vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,571 in Wheaton, IL, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,857 per month in Wheaton, IL 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.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,698 per month in Wheaton, IL 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 $1,835, than in Wheaton, IL at $2,571. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wheaton, IL 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 $2,571 in Wheaton, IL. 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, Wheaton, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.