Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,331 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,331

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,331 in Ashgabat versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Ashgabat $3,331
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,094 in Ashgabat versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Ashgabat $5,094
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,857 in Ashgabat versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Ashgabat $6,857
Nosara $3,712

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 81% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashgabat 149% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.23 TMT 105

$12.22 ₡5,509

155.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 TMT 285

$60.2 ₡27.1K

41.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.65 TMT 42.39

$7.54 ₡3,399

67.77%

Cappuccino

$6.59 TMT 22.07

$4.31 ₡1,941

52.90%

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

$1.53 TMT 5.14

$1.72 ₡773

-11.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TMT 2.74

$1.35 ₡608

-39.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 TMT 18.98

$3.24 ₡1,459

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.74 TMT 46.04

$4.48 ₡2,018

206.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.48 TMT 15.00

$1.57 ₡707

185.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 TMT 6.88

$3.17 ₡1,429

-35.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.82 TMT 19.48

$2.42 ₡1,091

140.50%

Eggs

$5.93 TMT 19.87

$3.57 ₡1,609

66.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$37.90 TMT 127

$7.43 ₡3,349

410.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.09 TMT 67.3

$10.42 ₡4,697

92.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.50 TMT 78.7

$13.66 ₡6,156

72.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 TMT 16.70

$2.32 ₡1,044

114.66%

Banana (1kg)

$8.53 TMT 28.58

$1.61 ₡728

429.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.32 TMT 24.52

$4.74 ₡2,138

54.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 TMT 12.09

$1.66 ₡747

117.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 TMT 7.80

$3.72 ₡1,679

-37.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 TMT 4.90

$3.57 ₡1,611

-59.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 TMT 9.00

$1.10 ₡497

144.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 TMT 3.74

$2.55 ₡1,149

-56.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.56 TMT 85.6

$4.95 ₡2,232

416.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$42.09 TMT 141

$20.01 ₡9,020

110.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.26 TMT 17.62

$2.79 ₡1,256

88.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 TMT 9.67

$3.53 ₡1,589

-18.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 TMT 0.49

$1.19 ₡537

-87.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.89 TMT 33.13

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-86.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 TMT 9.73

$2.24 ₡1,011

29.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 TMT 2.96

$1.55 ₡701

-43.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.41 TMT 28.17

$8.86 ₡3,993

-5.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 TMT 1.48

$1.57 ₡708

-71.97%

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

$44.6K TMT 149.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

104.36%

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

$57.2K TMT 191.5K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

65.01%

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

$580 TMT 1,944

$93.5 ₡42.1K

520.94%

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

$56.8 TMT 190

$35.11 ₡15.8K

61.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 347

$51.5 ₡23.2K

100.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$191 TMT 640

$71.4 ₡32.2K

167.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.50 TMT 152

$35.44 ₡16.0K

28.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 TMT 28.58

$7.84 ₡3,535

8.80%

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

$23.05 TMT 77.2

$490 ₡220.7K

-95.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K TMT 83.0K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

108.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 TMT 184

$53.5 ₡24.1K

2.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$115 TMT 385

$55.8 ₡25.1K

105.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$365 TMT 1,224

$79.3 ₡35.7K

360.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 TMT 632

$78.9 ₡35.6K

139.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 TMT 4,695

$786 ₡354.3K

78.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 TMT 3,351

$780 ₡351.6K

28.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,288 TMT 7,663

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-40.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 TMT 6,433

$1,407 ₡634.4K

36.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,527 TMT 11.8K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-49.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,813 TMT 9,422

$1,201 ₡541.3K

134.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$736 TMT 2,467

$876 ₡395.0K

-15.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

8.62

10.21%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: 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

Ashgabat

$1K 29.5%

Nosara

$780 43% 22% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashgabat

$741 21.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 75.7% $561

Groceries & Markets

Ashgabat

$671 19.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 47.9% $321

Eating Out

Ashgabat

$432 12.7%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 51.5% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Ashgabat

$326 9.6%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 63% $205

Sport & Entertainment

Ashgabat

$208 6.1%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 58.2% $121

Getting Around

Ashgabat

$18 0.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 388% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,402 in Ashgabat and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Ashgabat vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $671 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

21:49 9:49 PM

11 h behind Ashgabat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

909,000 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.266 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to TMT – Turkmenistani Manat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇲 Turkmenistani Manat (m)

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.76 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 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 TMT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ashgabat Nosara 13,510 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashgabat
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

Ashgabat vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashgabat and Nosara differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($3,331 vs $1,837 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Nosara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,402 in Ashgabat versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $23.05 in Ashgabat versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $3,331 in Ashgabat, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ashgabat and Nosara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.