Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ekibastuz and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ekibastuz: $837 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ekibastuz
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$837
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $837 per month in Ekibastuz vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ekibastuz $837
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,347 per month in Ekibastuz vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ekibastuz $1,347
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,856 per month in Ekibastuz vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Ekibastuz $1,856
  • Nosara $3,818

Ekibastuz is about 54% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ekibastuz sits 38% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ekibastuz
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 ₸4,910
$12.35 ₡5,539
-12.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.29 ₸16.9K
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-39.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.95 ₸3,595
$7.52 ₡3,373
5.72%
Cappuccino
$1.53 ₸692
$4.41 ₡1,978
-65.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.12 ₸507
$1.74 ₡780
-35.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₸285
$1.31 ₡587
-51.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.30 ₸590
$3.28 ₡1,471
-60.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 ₸997
$4.47 ₡2,004
-50.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ekibastuz
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 ₸599
$1.56 ₡701
-15.38%
White Bread (500g)
$0.61 ₸275
$3.02 ₡1,355
-79.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.62 ₸732
$2.51 ₡1,125
-35.46%
Eggs
$2.16 ₸976
$3.57 ₡1,603
-39.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.31 ₸5,564
$7.43 ₡3,333
65.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.94 ₸2,687
$10.52 ₡4,717
-43.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.76 ₸4,865
$13.97 ₡6,265
-22.98%
Apples (1kg)
$1.80 ₸814
$2.35 ₡1,052
-23.40%
Banana (1kg)
$2.26 ₸1,023
$1.61 ₡720
40.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 ₸1,006
$4.80 ₡2,152
-53.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.22 ₸1,001
$1.61 ₡724
37.89%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ₸296
$3.80 ₡1,703
-82.89%
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 ₸209
$3.69 ₡1,657
-87.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 ₸695
$1.13 ₡507
36.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 ₸429
$2.66 ₡1,191
-64.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.18 ₸984
$5.18 ₡2,321
-57.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.16 ₸5,047
$19.88 ₡8,916
-43.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31 ₸592
$2.90 ₡1,300
-54.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 ₸1,054
$3.63 ₡1,626
-35.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Ekibastuz
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₸114
$1.12 ₡504
-77.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.13 ₸510
$2.14 ₡958
-47.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 ₸514
$1.57 ₡703
-27.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.48 ₸2,930
$8.52 ₡3,823
-23.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.60 ₸272
$1.52 ₡682
-60.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.5K ₸11.1M
$21.6K ₡9.7M
13.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.1K ₸13.6M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
-12.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ekibastuz
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$68.3 ₸30.9K
$96.3 ₡43.2K
-29.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.31 ₸4,659
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-71.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.78 ₸8,036
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-66.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ekibastuz
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.29 ₸2,844
$7.89 ₡3,539
-20.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ekibastuz
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$378 ₸170.9K
$494 ₡221.6K
-23.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ₸5.3M
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-1.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ekibastuz
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 ₸29.1K
$53.9 ₡24.2K
19.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.03 ₸21.3K
$55.4 ₡24.8K
-15.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 ₸54.0K
$77.9 ₡34.9K
53.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 ₸59.2K
$79.6 ₡35.7K
64.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ekibastuz
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$247 ₸111.8K
$788 ₡353.4K
-68.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$181 ₸81.7K
$794 ₡356.2K
-77.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$450 ₸203.4K
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-88.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$332 ₸150.2K
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-76.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,224 ₡549.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ekibastuz
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$337 ₸152.3K
$864 ₡387.3K
-61.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
15.5
8.62
79.81%

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

Last update for Ekibastuz: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Ekibastuz
$230
Nosara
$352 53.2% $122
Accommodation & Living
Ekibastuz
$181
Nosara
$794 340% $614
Clothing & Footwear
Ekibastuz
$163
Nosara
$120 26.3% $43
Eating Out
Ekibastuz
$147
Nosara
$212 44% $65
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ekibastuz
$96
Nosara
$186 92.8% $89
Sport & Entertainment
Ekibastuz
$13 *
Nosara
$87 595% $75
Getting Around
Ekibastuz
$7.8 *
Nosara
$87 1013% $79

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $247 in Ekibastuz 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 156% 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 $37.00 in Ekibastuz versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $352 – making Ekibastuz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Ekibastuz
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
13:51 1:51 PM
01:51 1:51 AM
12 h behind Ekibastuz
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
159,760
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ekibastuz Nosara 12,910 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ekibastuz
  • 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
Ekibastuz vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ekibastuz and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $837 in Ekibastuz, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 120% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Ekibastuz compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,256 per month in Ekibastuz and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ekibastuz and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ekibastuz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ekibastuz or Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $837 in Ekibastuz and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 120%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ekibastuz and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $378 per month in Ekibastuz and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ekibastuz, where all-in costs run around $837, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Ekibastuz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Ekibastuz and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $837 in Ekibastuz to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Ekibastuz or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Ekibastuz and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Ekibastuz. 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.

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