Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Darkhan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Darkhan: $655 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Darkhan
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Darkhan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Darkhan

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$655

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $655 in Darkhan versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Darkhan $655
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,075 in Darkhan versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Darkhan $1,075
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,496 in Darkhan versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Darkhan $1,496
Nosara $3,712

Living in Darkhan costs roughly 64% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Darkhan is 51% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 MNT 19.6K

$12.22 ₡5,509

-55.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.74 MNT 114.0K

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-47.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 MNT 20.2K

$7.54 ₡3,399

-25.46%

Cappuccino

$2.39 MNT 8,575

$4.31 ₡1,941

-44.55%

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

$0.87 MNT 3,140

$1.72 ₡773

-49.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MNT 2,065

$1.35 ₡608

-57.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 MNT 8,427

$3.24 ₡1,459

-27.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 MNT 12.3K

$4.48 ₡2,018

-23.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MNT 5,184

$1.57 ₡707

-8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MNT 3,653

$3.17 ₡1,429

-67.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 MNT 7,389

$2.42 ₡1,091

-14.88%

Eggs

$2.16 MNT 7,750

$3.57 ₡1,609

-39.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 MNT 44.8K

$7.43 ₡3,349

67.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 MNT 17.5K

$10.42 ₡4,697

-53.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 MNT 26.7K

$13.66 ₡6,156

-45.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 MNT 11.5K

$2.32 ₡1,044

38.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 MNT 8,592

$1.61 ₡728

48.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 MNT 13.8K

$4.74 ₡2,138

-18.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 MNT 11.0K

$1.66 ₡747

84.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 MNT 2,567

$3.72 ₡1,679

-80.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 MNT 3,772

$3.57 ₡1,611

-70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 MNT 6,146

$1.10 ₡497

55.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 MNT 2,626

$2.55 ₡1,149

-71.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 MNT 5,985

$4.95 ₡2,232

-66.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MNT 37.0K

$20.01 ₡9,020

-48.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 MNT 5,126

$2.79 ₡1,256

-48.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 MNT 6,455

$3.53 ₡1,589

-49.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 MNT 1,967

$2.24 ₡1,011

-75.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MNT 1,950

$1.55 ₡701

-65.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 MNT 23.3K

$8.86 ₡3,993

-26.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 MNT 3,852

$1.57 ₡708

-31.85%

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

$27.3K MNT 98.2M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

25.36%

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

$35.4K MNT 127.4M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

2.34%

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

$70.6 MNT 253.8K

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-24.42%

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

$7.68 MNT 27.6K

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-78.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.82 MNT 49.7K

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-73.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 MNT 15.2K

$7.84 ₡3,535

-45.92%

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

$831 MNT 3.0M

$490 ₡220.7K

69.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,568 MNT 30.8M

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-27.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 MNT 299.8K

$53.5 ₡24.1K

55.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.49 MNT 163.5K

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-18.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MNT 371.8K

$79.3 ₡35.7K

30.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 MNT 665.6K

$78.9 ₡35.6K

134.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.32

8.62

19.72%

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

Last update for Darkhan: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Darkhan

$238 37%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 47% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Darkhan

$188 29.2%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 36% $68

Eating Out

Darkhan

$114 17.7%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 84.4% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Darkhan

$92 14.3%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 95.4% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Darkhan

$8.5 * 1.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 926% $79

Getting Around

Darkhan

$3.3 * 0.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 2564% $84

Accommodation & Living

Darkhan

- * 0%

Nosara

$780 43%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Darkhan vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $350 per month, with Darkhan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Darkhan

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

22:56 10:56 PM

14 h behind Darkhan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,738

4,912

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 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 MNT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Darkhan Nosara 13,310 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Darkhan
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

Darkhan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Darkhan wins on cost – living expenses run 180% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Darkhan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $983 in Darkhan and $2,756 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $831 in Darkhan versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Darkhan – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $655 in Darkhan versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Darkhan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Darkhan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Darkhan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $655 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Darkhan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Darkhan 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 Darkhan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.