Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,387 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Nosara $3,712

Almaty is about 25% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Almaty and Nosara sit above the global median – Almaty by 3%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸5,991

$12.22 ₡5,509

8.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.5K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-27.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,959

$7.54 ₡3,399

16.71%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,486

$4.31 ₡1,941

-23.43%

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

$1.37 ₸616

$1.72 ₡773

-20.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸406

$1.35 ₡608

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,409

$3.24 ₡1,459

-3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,847

$4.48 ₡2,018

-8.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸749

$1.57 ₡707

5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸403

$3.17 ₡1,429

-71.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸927

$2.42 ₡1,091

-14.88%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,067

$3.57 ₡1,609

-33.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,689

$7.43 ₡3,349

70.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸2,978

$10.42 ₡4,697

-36.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,893

$13.66 ₡6,156

-20.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸839

$2.32 ₡1,044

-19.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,067

$1.61 ₡728

47.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,348

$4.74 ₡2,138

-36.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,273

$1.66 ₡747

70.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸345

$3.72 ₡1,679

-79.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸262

$3.57 ₡1,611

-83.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸718

$1.10 ₡497

44.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸446

$2.55 ₡1,149

-61.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,145

$4.95 ₡2,232

-48.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸4,969

$20.01 ₡9,020

-44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸546

$2.79 ₡1,256

-56.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,085

$3.53 ₡1,589

-31.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$1.19 ₡537

-78.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,831

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-69.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸577

$2.24 ₡1,011

-42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸289

$1.55 ₡701

-58.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,836

$8.86 ₡3,993

21.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸312

$1.57 ₡708

-56.05%

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

$22.3K ₸10.0M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

2.16%

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-15.30%

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

$87.8 ₸39.5K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-6.09%

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

$10.83 ₸4,874

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-69.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,831

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-66.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.4K

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-2.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.0K

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-25.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,009

$7.84 ₡3,535

-14.80%

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

$446 ₸200.8K

$490 ₡220.7K

-8.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.2K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

74.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.1K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-15.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.3K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

80.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.1K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

69.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸348.1K

$786 ₡354.3K

-1.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸223.9K

$780 ₡351.6K

-36.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸625.9K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-63.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸396.0K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-37.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.1M

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-63.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸678.2K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

25.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸375.2K

$876 ₡395.0K

-4.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

8.62

139.56%

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

Last update for Almaty: 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

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Nosara

$780 43% 56.8% $283

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 39.1% $98

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 2% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 35.8% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 55.2% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 4.8% $4

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 218% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty 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 5% 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 $43.00 in Almaty versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $350 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:10 8:10 AM

20:10 8:10 PM

12 h behind Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

4,912

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Nosara 13,840 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
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

Almaty vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty 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 Almaty, 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 $43.00 in Almaty and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Almaty and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 32%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almaty – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Almaty. 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.