Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Winona, MN and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $1,950 in Winona, MN, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Winona, MN
Learn more

Winona, MN Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Winona, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,950

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,950 per month in Winona, MN vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Winona, MN $1,950
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,925 per month in Winona, MN vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Winona, MN $2,925
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,900 per month in Winona, MN vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Winona, MN $3,900
Nosara $3,814

Winona, MN costs about 6% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Winona, MN and Nosara sit above the global median – Winona, MN by 44%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 $15.12

$12.34 ₡5,535

22.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 $58.5

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-4.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 $11.46

$7.76 ₡3,481

47.68%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$4.44 ₡1,992

24.77%

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

$1.79 $1.79

$1.79 ₡803

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.29 ₡580

-20.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.24 ₡1,451

27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.43 ₡1,985

33.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.55 ₡696

-35.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 $1.41

$3.08 ₡1,380

-54.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.53 ₡1,133

64.43%

Eggs

$1.75 $1.75

$3.45 ₡1,546

-49.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.32 ₡3,284

101.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.41 $13.41

$10.24 ₡4,594

30.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.81 $19.81

$14.10 ₡6,326

40.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.29 ₡1,027

101.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.64 ₡737

-60.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.79 ₡2,149

6.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.64 ₡735

202.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.85 ₡1,727

-27.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.75 ₡1,681

-19.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.09 ₡488

92.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.59 ₡1,160

-8.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 $10.85

$5.12 ₡2,295

111.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.47 $15.47

$19.92 ₡8,931

-22.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.80 ₡1,255

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.52 ₡1,580

23.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.22 ₡549

66.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 $66.8

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-9.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.17 ₡973

78.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.56 ₡698

32.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.95 $42.95

$8.67 ₡3,886

395.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.55 ₡697

-36.13%

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

$31.1K $31.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-9.96%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-32.66%

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

$198 $198

$94.8 ₡42.5K

108.64%

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

$29.44 $29.44

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-18.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 $53.2

$53.1 ₡23.8K

0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 $9.82

$7.91 ₡3,548

24.15%

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

$1,718 $1,718

$490 ₡219.9K

250.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

100.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 $63.1

$54.8 ₡24.6K

15.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-9.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$80.4 ₡36.0K

31.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$77.9 ₡34.9K

57.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 $867

$801 ₡359.1K

8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 $686

$790 ₡354.1K

-13.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 $1,285

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-67.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 $1,180

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-16.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,671 $1,671

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-76.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,653 $1,653

$1,236 ₡554.3K

33.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

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 Winona, MN: 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

Winona, MN

$686 35.2%

Nosara

$790 43% 15.2% $104

Groceries & Markets

Winona, MN

$395 20.3%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 11.5% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Winona, MN

$280 14.4%

Nosara

$184 10% 34.4% $96

Eating Out

Winona, MN

$265 13.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 19.9% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Winona, MN

$154 7.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 21.4% $33

Getting Around

Winona, MN

$89 4.6%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 0.4% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Winona, MN

$80 4.1%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 12% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $867 in Winona, MN 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 $58.0 in Winona, MN versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $395 in Winona, MN vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Winona, MN

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

03:29 3:29 AM

1 h behind Winona, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,533

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Winona, MN Nosara 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Winona, MN
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

Winona, MN vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,950 in Winona, MN, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,924 per month in Winona, MN 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 11% less in Nosara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,718 per month in Winona, MN 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 Winona, MN at $1,950. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Winona, MN 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 $1,950 in Winona, MN. 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, Winona, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.