Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalkan and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalkan: $880 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kalkan
🇹🇷 Turkey
$880
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $880 per month in Kalkan vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Kalkan $880
  • Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $1,381 per month in Kalkan vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Kalkan $1,381
  • Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $1,882 per month in Kalkan vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Kalkan $1,882
  • Nosara $3,814

Kalkan is about 52% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kalkan sits 35% below the global median, while Nosara is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kalkan
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.99 ₺296
$12.34 ₡5,535
-51.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.83 ₺1,180
$61.3 ₡27.5K
-61.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.14 ₺403
$7.76 ₡3,481
4.90%
Cappuccino
$3.14 ₺156
$4.44 ₡1,992
-29.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 ₺59.9
$1.79 ₡803
-32.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 ₺19.12
$1.29 ₡580
-69.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.09 ₺153
$3.24 ₡1,451
-4.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 ₺168
$4.43 ₡1,985
-23.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kalkan
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.01 ₺49.88
$1.55 ₡696
-34.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.14 ₺56.3
$3.08 ₡1,380
-62.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 ₺113
$2.53 ₡1,133
-9.88%
Eggs
$1.94 ₺96.2
$3.45 ₡1,546
-43.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.00 ₺446
$7.32 ₡3,284
22.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.39 ₺168
$10.24 ₡4,594
-66.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.78 ₺1,029
$14.10 ₡6,326
47.38%
Apples (1kg)
$1.82 ₺90.3
$2.29 ₡1,027
-20.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 ₺96.7
$1.64 ₡737
18.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.02 ₺50.6
$4.79 ₡2,149
-78.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.09 ₺54.0
$1.64 ₡735
-33.54%
Potato (1kg)
$0.61 ₺30.01
$3.85 ₡1,727
-84.16%
Onion (1kg)
$0.44 ₺21.96
$3.75 ₡1,681
-88.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.78 ₺38.51
$1.09 ₡488
-28.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 ₺36.49
$2.59 ₡1,160
-71.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.27 ₺112
$5.12 ₡2,295
-55.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.03 ₺398
$19.92 ₡8,931
-59.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 ₺95.2
$2.80 ₡1,255
-31.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 ₺133
$3.52 ₡1,580
-23.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Kalkan
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.67 ₺32.96
$1.22 ₡549
-45.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.57 ₺78.0
$2.17 ₡973
-27.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.83 ₺41.27
$1.56 ₡698
-46.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.95 ₺493
$8.67 ₡3,886
14.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 ₺64.0
$1.55 ₡697
-16.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.6K ₺2.0M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
17.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.3K ₺1.8M
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-3.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kalkan
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$41.67 ₺2,063
$94.8 ₡42.5K
-56.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.22 ₺407
$36.15 ₡16.2K
-77.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.23 ₺606
$53.1 ₡23.8K
-76.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kalkan
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ₺2,587
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-29.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.38 ₺316
$7.91 ₡3,548
-19.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kalkan
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$292 ₺14.5K
$490 ₡219.9K
-40.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,605 ₺327.0K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-44.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kalkan
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.0 ₺2,725
$54.8 ₡24.6K
0.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.5 ₺2,499
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-9.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.1 ₺4,459
$80.4 ₡36.0K
12.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.3 ₺4,174
$77.9 ₡34.9K
8.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kalkan
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$391 ₺19.3K
$801 ₡359.1K
-51.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$260 ₺12.8K
$790 ₡354.1K
-67.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$792 ₺39.2K
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-80.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$480 ₺23.7K
$1,409 ₡632.0K
-65.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,256 ₺62.2K
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-82.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,150 ₺56.9K
$1,236 ₡554.3K
-6.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kalkan
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$887 ₡397.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
49.67
8.62
476.22%

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

Last update for Kalkan: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kalkan
$260
Nosara
$790 204% $530
Groceries & Markets
Kalkan
$221
Nosara
$350 58.4% $129
Eating Out
Kalkan
$139
Nosara
$213 53.4% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Kalkan
$126
Nosara
$121 3.9% $4.9
Sport & Entertainment
Kalkan
$65
Nosara
$90 37.8% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kalkan
$62
Nosara
$184 196% $122
Getting Around
Kalkan
$8.4 *
Nosara
$89 956% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $391 in Kalkan 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 $24.00 in Kalkan versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $350 – making Kalkan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇷 Kalkan
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
00:07 12:07 AM
15:07 3:07 PM
9 h behind Kalkan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,000
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kalkan Nosara 11,510 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kalkan
  • 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
Kalkan vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Kalkan and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $880 in Kalkan, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 108% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Kalkan compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,321 per month in Kalkan and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Kalkan and Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalkan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Kalkan and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 58% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kalkan, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Kalkan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Kalkan and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $880 in Kalkan to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Kalkan or Nosara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Kalkan and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Kalkan. 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.

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