Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kabul and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabul: $511 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Kabul
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Kabul Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Kabul

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$511

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $511 in Kabul versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Kabul $511
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $684 in Kabul versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Kabul $684
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $857 in Kabul versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Kabul $857
Nosara $3,712

Living in Kabul costs roughly 72% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kabul is 62% below, Nosara is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.70 ؋175

$12.22 ₡5,509

-77.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.89 ؋511

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-86.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 ؋292

$7.54 ₡3,399

-40.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 ؋148

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ؋122

Cappuccino

$1.09 ؋70.5

$4.31 ₡1,941

-74.71%

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

$0.45 ؋28.95

$1.72 ₡773

-73.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ؋10.83

$1.35 ₡608

-87.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 ؋52.4

$1.57 ₡707

-48.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 ؋16.23

$3.17 ₡1,429

-92.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 ؋121

$2.42 ₡1,091

-23.14%

Eggs

$1.54 ؋99.7

$3.57 ₡1,609

-56.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 ؋289

$7.43 ₡3,349

-39.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 ؋261

$10.42 ₡4,697

-61.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 ؋434

$13.66 ₡6,156

-50.88%

Apples (1kg)

$0.70 ؋45.11

$2.32 ₡1,044

-69.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 ؋57.4

$1.61 ₡728

-44.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 ؋61.5

$4.74 ₡2,138

-79.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 ؋35.47

$1.66 ₡747

-66.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ؋39.34

$3.72 ₡1,679

-83.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 ؋32.74

$3.57 ₡1,611

-85.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ؋19.48

$1.10 ₡497

-72.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 ؋23.89

$2.55 ₡1,149

-85.49%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 ؋117

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ؋52.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ؋65.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ؋157

$4.95 ₡2,232

-51.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 ؋8.60

$1.19 ₡537

-89.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.08 ؋1,366

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-70.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 ؋138

$2.24 ₡1,011

-5.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ؋29.02

$1.55 ₡701

-70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 ؋179

$8.86 ₡3,993

-68.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ؋69.9

$1.57 ₡708

-31.21%

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

$8,341 ؋540.2K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-61.74%

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

$33.8K ؋2.2M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-2.50%

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

$42.09 ؋2,726

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-54.96%

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

$13.12 ؋850

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-62.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.3 ؋6,174

$51.5 ₡23.2K

85.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.15 ؋722

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-84.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.11 ؋266

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-88.40%

Cinema Ticket

$2.34 ؋152

$7.84 ₡3,535

-70.15%

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

$20.64 ؋1,337

$490 ₡220.7K

-95.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,045 ؋67.7K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-91.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.71 ؋694

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-80.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.93 ؋1,032

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-71.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 ؋3,741

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-27.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.51 ؋1,652

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-67.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 ؋8,092

$786 ₡354.3K

-84.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 ؋7,043

$780 ₡351.6K

-86.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 ؋14.2K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-94.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 ؋7,463

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-91.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$675 ؋43.7K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-90.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$363 ؋23.5K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

-69.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$339 ؋21.9K

$876 ₡395.0K

-61.33%

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 Kabul: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kabul

$151 29.9%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 19.6% $30

Accommodation & Living

Kabul

$109 21.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 617% $671

Groceries & Markets

Kabul

$102 20.2%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 244% $248

Eating Out

Kabul

$51 10.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 314% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Kabul

$49 9.8%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 143% $71

Getting Around

Kabul

$26 5.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 234% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Kabul

$16 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 450% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $125 in Kabul and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 159% 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: $8.00 in Kabul vs $60.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $350 per month, with Kabul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Kabul

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

20:48 8:48 PM

10 h 30 min behind Kabul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,289,000 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.64 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 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 AFN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kabul Nosara 14,400 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Kabul
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

Kabul vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kabul and Nosara differ by about 259% in total monthly costs ($511 vs $1,837 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 159% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $125 in Kabul versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kabul runs roughly 242% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $20.64 in Kabul versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $511 in Kabul versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kabul but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kabul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kabul 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 Kabul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 259% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.