Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isiolo and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Isiolo: $544 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Isiolo
Learn more

Isiolo Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Isiolo

🇰🇪 Kenya

$544

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $544 in Isiolo versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Isiolo $544
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $891 in Isiolo versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Isiolo $891
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,239 in Isiolo versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Isiolo $1,239
Nosara $3,814

Living in Isiolo costs roughly 70% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Isiolo is 60% below, Nosara is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 KES 811

$12.34 ₡5,535

-49.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 KES 4,543

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-42.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 KES 829

$7.76 ₡3,481

-17.53%

Cappuccino

$2.69 KES 349

$4.44 ₡1,992

-39.41%

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

$0.66 KES 84.9

$1.79 ₡803

-63.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 73.0

$1.29 ₡580

-56.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 297

$3.24 ₡1,451

-29.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 KES 342

$4.43 ₡1,985

-40.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 116

$1.55 ₡696

-42.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 KES 73.4

$3.08 ₡1,380

-81.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 KES 248

$2.53 ₡1,133

-24.51%

Eggs

$1.68 KES 218

$3.45 ₡1,546

-51.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 KES 1,398

$7.32 ₡3,284

47.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 KES 840

$10.24 ₡4,594

-36.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.22 KES 807

$14.10 ₡6,326

-55.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 KES 427

$2.29 ₡1,027

44.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$1.64 ₡737

-35.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 KES 263

$4.79 ₡2,149

-57.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.64 ₡735

-29.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 KES 145

$3.85 ₡1,727

-70.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$3.75 ₡1,681

-71.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 KES 94.9

$1.09 ₡488

-33.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 KES 96.7

$2.59 ₡1,160

-71.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 KES 457

$5.12 ₡2,295

-31.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 KES 1,482

$19.92 ₡8,931

-42.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 KES 300

$2.80 ₡1,255

-17.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 KES 349

$3.52 ₡1,580

-23.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 197

$2.17 ₡973

-29.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 197

$1.56 ₡698

-2.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 KES 371

$8.67 ₡3,886

-67.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 KES 209

$1.55 ₡697

3.87%

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

$21.8K KES 2.8M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-36.83%

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

$20.2K KES 2.6M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-47.88%

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

$56.5 KES 7,319

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-40.47%

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

$14.95 KES 1,939

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-58.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.44 KES 4,465

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-35.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 KES 1,004

$7.91 ₡3,548

-2.02%

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

$249 KES 32.3K

$490 ₡219.9K

-49.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K KES 1.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

4.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.88 KES 3,615

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-49.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.53 KES 3,829

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-47.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 KES 9,256

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-11.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.6 KES 7,592

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-24.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$777 KES 100.7K

$887 ₡397.6K

-12.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

8.62

70.65%

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

Last update for Isiolo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Isiolo

$206 37.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 69.6% $143

Eating Out

Isiolo

$123 22.6%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 72.8% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isiolo

$106 19.5%

Nosara

$184 10% 73.9% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Isiolo

$84 15.5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 43.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Isiolo

$15 * 2.9%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 479% $74

Getting Around

Isiolo

$9.1 * 1.7%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 874% $80

Accommodation & Living

Isiolo

- * 0%

Nosara

$790 43%

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

Cost Breakdown

Nosara pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Isiolo vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $350 per month, with Isiolo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Isiolo

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

04:12 4:12 AM

9 h behind Isiolo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,989

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 22, 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 22, 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

Isiolo Nosara 13,630 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Isiolo
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

Isiolo vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isiolo wins on cost – living expenses run 237% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Isiolo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 14% 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $544 per month in Isiolo versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 237% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $544 in Isiolo versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isiolo but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Isiolo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Isiolo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $544 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Isiolo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Isiolo 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 Isiolo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 237% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.