Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iola, KS and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,638 in Iola, KS, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Iola, KS
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Iola, KS Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Iola, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,638

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,638 per month in Iola, KS vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Iola, KS $2,638
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,771 per month in Iola, KS vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Iola, KS $3,771
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,904 per month in Iola, KS vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Iola, KS $4,904
Nosara $3,814

Iola, KS costs about 44% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Iola, KS and Nosara sit above the global median – Iola, KS by 95%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.04 $27.04

$12.34 ₡5,535

119.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.7 $59.7

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-2.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 $11.09

$7.76 ₡3,481

42.91%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$4.44 ₡1,992

12.84%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$1.79 ₡803

22.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.29 ₡580

70.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 $4.63

$3.24 ₡1,451

42.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 $6.53

$4.43 ₡1,985

47.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.55 ₡696

-27.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.08 ₡1,380

8.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.53 ₡1,133

-15.42%

Eggs

$3.70 $3.70

$3.45 ₡1,546

7.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 $10.96

$7.32 ₡3,284

49.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$10.24 ₡4,594

-14.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$14.10 ₡6,326

7.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.29 ₡1,027

91.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.64 ₡737

-34.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$4.79 ₡2,149

-37.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.64 ₡735

173.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.85 ₡1,727

-56.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$3.75 ₡1,681

-38.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.09 ₡488

60.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.59 ₡1,160

-22.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.80 $7.80

$5.12 ₡2,295

52.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 $13.26

$19.92 ₡8,931

-33.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.80 ₡1,255

-36.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.52 ₡1,580

23.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.22 ₡549

55.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.17 ₡973

34.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.56 ₡698

-10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.65 $35.65

$8.67 ₡3,886

311.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.55 ₡697

-39.35%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.20%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-29.80%

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

$268 $268

$94.8 ₡42.5K

182.70%

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

$59.6 $59.6

$36.15 ₡16.2K

64.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.9 $73.9

$53.1 ₡23.8K

39.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 $46.01

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-37.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 $11.94

$7.91 ₡3,548

50.95%

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

$760 $760

$490 ₡219.9K

55.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

76.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 $73.4

$54.8 ₡24.6K

33.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.20 $37.20

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-33.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 $78.1

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-2.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$77.9 ₡34.9K

59.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 $1,569

$801 ₡359.1K

95.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 $1,308

$790 ₡354.1K

65.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,512 $2,512

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-37.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 $2,127

$1,409 ₡632.0K

50.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 $2,470

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-65.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,702 $2,702

$1,236 ₡554.3K

118.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

8.62

-26.22%

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

Last update for Iola, KS: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iola, KS

$1.3K 49.6%

Nosara

$790 43% 39.6% $518

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iola, KS

$402 15.2%

Nosara

$184 10% 54.2% $217

Eating Out

Iola, KS

$364 13.8%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 41.5% $151

Groceries & Markets

Iola, KS

$338 12.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 3.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Iola, KS

$141 5.3%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 13.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Iola, KS

$70 2.7%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 28.2% $20

Getting Around

Iola, KS

$17 * 0.7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 408% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,569 in Iola, KS versus $801 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Iola, KS versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $350 – making Iola, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Iola, KS

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

04:12 4:12 AM

1 h behind Iola, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,400

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Iola, KS Nosara 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Iola, KS
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

Iola, KS vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iola, KS costs about 44% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,958 per month in Iola, KS and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, 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 $60.0 in Iola, KS and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Iola, KS – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Iola, KS at $2,638. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iola, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,638 in Iola, KS. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iola, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.