Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garissa and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Garissa: $381 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Garissa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$381

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $381 per month in Garissa vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Garissa $381
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $667 per month in Garissa vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Garissa $667
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $952 per month in Garissa vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Garissa $952
Nosara $3,818

Garissa is about 79% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Garissa sits 72% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.79 KES 1,528

$12.35 ₡5,539

-4.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.02 KES 2,984

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-62.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

Cappuccino

$7.73 KES 1,002

$4.41 ₡1,978

75.28%

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

$1.88 KES 244

$1.74 ₡780

8.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 KES 147

$1.31 ₡587

-13.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$0.52 KES 66.9

$1.56 ₡701

-66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 KES 76.9

$3.02 ₡1,355

-80.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 KES 191

$2.51 ₡1,125

-41.43%

Eggs

$1.92 KES 249

$3.57 ₡1,603

-46.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 KES 791

$10.52 ₡4,717

-42.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.39 KES 698

$13.97 ₡6,265

-61.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 KES 490

$2.35 ₡1,052

60.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 KES 403

$1.61 ₡720

93.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 KES 608

$4.80 ₡2,152

-2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.61 ₡724

-50.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 KES 158

$3.80 ₡1,703

-67.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$3.69 ₡1,657

-57.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 KES 307

$1.13 ₡507

109.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 72.3

$2.66 ₡1,191

-78.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 KES 741

$19.88 ₡8,916

-71.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 KES 217

$2.90 ₡1,300

-42.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 KES 496

$3.63 ₡1,626

5.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

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)

$34.5K ₡15.5M

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$129 KES 16.8K

$864 ₡387.3K

-85.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Garissa: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Garissa

–

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Groceries & Markets

Garissa

–

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Eating Out

Garissa

–

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garissa

–

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Garissa

–

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Garissa

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Garissa

–

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 568% 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 $23.00 in Garissa versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $352 – making Garissa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Garissa

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:53 4:53 PM

07:53 7:53 AM

9 h behind Garissa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,696

4,912

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Garissa Nosara 13,870 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Garissa
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

Garissa vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $381 in Garissa, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 383% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $572 per month in Garissa and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Garissa and $61.0 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 $381 in Garissa and $1,839 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 383%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Garissa, where all-in costs run around $381, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Garissa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $381 in Garissa to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Garissa. 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.