Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalamazoo, MI and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,022 in Kalamazoo, MI, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Kalamazoo, MI
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Kalamazoo, MI Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Kalamazoo, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,022

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,022 per month in Kalamazoo, MI vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Kalamazoo, MI $2,022
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,222 per month in Kalamazoo, MI vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Kalamazoo, MI $3,222
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,421 per month in Kalamazoo, MI vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Kalamazoo, MI $4,421
Nosara $3,814

Kalamazoo, MI costs about 10% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kalamazoo, MI and Nosara sit above the global median – Kalamazoo, MI by 49%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.80 $24.80

$12.34 ₡5,535

100.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.0 $86.0

$61.3 ₡27.5K

40.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 $10.15

$7.76 ₡3,481

30.80%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$4.44 ₡1,992

12.84%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$1.79 ₡803

42.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.29 ₡580

62.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$3.24 ₡1,451

55.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 $6.54

$4.43 ₡1,985

47.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.55 ₡696

-49.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.08 ₡1,380

-1.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.53 ₡1,133

67.98%

Eggs

$2.54 $2.54

$3.45 ₡1,546

-26.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 $9.22

$7.32 ₡3,284

25.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.52 $12.52

$10.24 ₡4,594

22.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 $13.19

$14.10 ₡6,326

-6.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$2.29 ₡1,027

151.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.64 ₡737

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.54 $9.54

$4.79 ₡2,149

99.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$1.64 ₡735

208.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.85 ₡1,727

-32.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.75 ₡1,681

-13.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.09 ₡488

66.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.59 ₡1,160

-50.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.86 $9.86

$5.12 ₡2,295

92.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$19.92 ₡8,931

-24.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.80 ₡1,255

-27.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.52 ₡1,580

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.22 ₡549

60.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.1 $61.1

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-17.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.17 ₡973

125.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.56 ₡698

16.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.5 $50.5

$8.67 ₡3,886

482.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.55 ₡697

-40.65%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-21.13%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-35.00%

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

$120 $120

$94.8 ₡42.5K

26.64%

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

$37.69 $37.69

$36.15 ₡16.2K

4.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.4 $95.4

$53.1 ₡23.8K

79.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.85 $40.85

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-44.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.82 $15.82

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-55.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 $9.96

$7.91 ₡3,548

25.92%

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

$1,667 $1,667

$490 ₡219.9K

240.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K $11.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-7.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-3.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.80 $21.80

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-60.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$80.4 ₡36.0K

34.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 $95.2

$77.9 ₡34.9K

22.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 $1,286

$801 ₡359.1K

60.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 $774

$790 ₡354.1K

-1.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 $2,524

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-36.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 $1,530

$1,409 ₡632.0K

8.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,876 $1,876

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-73.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 $1,725

$1,236 ₡554.3K

39.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,525 $3,525

$887 ₡397.6K

297.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

8.62

-24.25%

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

Last update for Kalamazoo, MI: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kalamazoo, MI

$774 38.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 2% $15

Groceries & Markets

Kalamazoo, MI

$380 18.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 8% $30

Eating Out

Kalamazoo, MI

$346 17.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 38.5% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kalamazoo, MI

$253 12.5%

Nosara

$184 10% 27.3% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Kalamazoo, MI

$125 6.2%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 3.3% $4.1

Getting Around

Kalamazoo, MI

$83 4.1%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 7% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Kalamazoo, MI

$61 3%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 47.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,286 in Kalamazoo, MI 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.

Salaries run about 298% higher in Kalamazoo, MI, 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 $86.0 in Kalamazoo, MI versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kalamazoo, MI

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

15:10 3:10 PM

2 h behind Kalamazoo, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,161

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Kalamazoo, MI Nosara 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Kalamazoo, MI
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

Kalamazoo, MI vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,022 in Kalamazoo, MI, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,033 per month in Kalamazoo, MI 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 $86.0 in Kalamazoo, MI 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 $2,022 in Kalamazoo, MI and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 10%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Kalamazoo, MI at $2,022. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kalamazoo, MI 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 $1,835 in Nosara to $2,022 in Kalamazoo, MI. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kalamazoo, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.