Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktau and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $793 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $793 per month in Aktau vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Aktau $793
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,317 per month in Aktau vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Aktau $1,317
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,842 per month in Aktau vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Aktau $1,842
Nosara $3,818

Aktau is about 57% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Aktau sits 41% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.07 ₸5,005

$12.35 ₡5,539

-10.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.55 ₸19.7K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-28.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 ₸4,596

$7.52 ₡3,373

35.24%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ₸1,128

$4.41 ₡1,978

-43.54%

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

$0.74 ₸333

$1.74 ₡780

-57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₸219

$1.31 ₡587

-63.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₸586

$3.28 ₡1,471

-60.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₸690

$4.47 ₡2,004

-65.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ₸638

$1.56 ₡701

-9.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 ₸211

$3.02 ₡1,355

-84.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₸864

$2.51 ₡1,125

-23.90%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$3.57 ₡1,603

-51.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 ₸4,463

$7.43 ₡3,333

32.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₸1,915

$10.52 ₡4,717

-59.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.95 ₸4,044

$13.97 ₡6,265

-35.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₸689

$2.35 ₡1,052

-34.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ₸1,013

$1.61 ₡720

39.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₸1,064

$4.80 ₡2,152

-51.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ₸1,264

$1.61 ₡724

73.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₸295

$3.80 ₡1,703

-82.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₸254

$3.69 ₡1,657

-84.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 ₸700

$1.13 ₡507

37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₸424

$2.66 ₡1,191

-64.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 ₸1,172

$5.18 ₡2,321

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ₸4,313

$19.88 ₡8,916

-52.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₸326

$2.90 ₡1,300

-75.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸393

$3.63 ₡1,626

-76.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸82.6

$1.12 ₡504

-83.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 ₸512

$2.14 ₡958

-47.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸290

$1.57 ₡703

-59.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 ₸283

$1.52 ₡682

-58.55%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$31.4K ₸14.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-8.95%

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

$45.69 ₸20.7K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-52.55%

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

$7.94 ₸3,587

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-77.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.01 ₸4,979

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-79.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.98 ₸16.3K

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-49.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.18 ₸1,437

$7.89 ₡3,539

-59.70%

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

$143 ₸64.8K

$494 ₡221.6K

-70.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,621 ₸1.2M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-77.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 ₸30.2K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

23.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.67 ₸18.4K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-26.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ₸32.4K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-7.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 ₸40.5K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

12.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 ₸149.2K

$788 ₡353.4K

-58.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ₸88.6K

$794 ₡356.2K

-75.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 ₸249.0K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-86.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₸177.8K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-72.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$813 ₸367.6K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-88.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$659 ₸297.7K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

-46.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$564 ₸254.8K

$864 ₡387.3K

-34.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

62.41%

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

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Aktau

$200 25.3%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 75.8% $152

Accommodation & Living

Aktau

$196 24.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 305% $598

Eating Out

Aktau

$163 20.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 29.6% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Aktau

$121 15.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 0.7% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktau

$65 8.2%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 187% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Aktau

$42 5.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 106% $45

Getting Around

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 1618% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $330 in Aktau 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 53% higher in Nosara, 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 $44.00 in Aktau versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $352 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktau

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

20:12 8:12 PM

09:12 9:12 AM

11 h behind Aktau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,830

4,912

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aktau Nosara 12,630 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Aktau
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

Aktau vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 132% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,189 per month in Aktau 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 Aktau, 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 $44.00 in Aktau 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 76% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aktau, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Aktau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aktau costs $793 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Aktau. 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.