Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kansas City, KS and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,693 in Kansas City, KS, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Kansas City, KS
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Kansas City, KS Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Kansas City, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,693

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,693 per month in Kansas City, KS vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Kansas City, KS $2,693
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,087 per month in Kansas City, KS vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Kansas City, KS $4,087
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,482 per month in Kansas City, KS vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Kansas City, KS $5,482
Nosara $3,818

Kansas City, KS costs about 46% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kansas City, KS and Nosara sit above the global median – Kansas City, KS by 99%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.66 $23.66

$12.35 ₡5,539

91.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$61.2 ₡27.4K

33.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$7.52 ₡3,373

65.43%

Cappuccino

$6.15 $6.15

$4.41 ₡1,978

39.46%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$1.74 ₡780

80.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.31 ₡587

92.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.28 ₡1,471

55.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.14 $9.14

$4.47 ₡2,004

104.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.56 ₡701

-31.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.02 ₡1,355

14.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.51 ₡1,125

104.38%

Eggs

$4.47 $4.47

$3.57 ₡1,603

25.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 $13.87

$7.43 ₡3,333

86.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.63 $9.63

$10.52 ₡4,717

-8.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 $13.78

$13.97 ₡6,265

-1.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.35 ₡1,052

79.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.61 ₡720

29.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$4.80 ₡2,152

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$1.61 ₡724

243.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.80 ₡1,703

-10.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.69 ₡1,657

4.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.13 ₡507

107.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.66 ₡1,191

-18.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.59 $9.59

$5.18 ₡2,321

85.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 $17.31

$19.88 ₡8,916

-12.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.90 ₡1,300

-37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.63 ₡1,626

3.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.12 ₡504

31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 $54.2

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-25.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.14 ₡958

128.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.57 ₡703

-19.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.88 $41.88

$8.52 ₡3,823

391.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.52 ₡682

-32.89%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

59.45%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-28.13%

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

$202 $202

$96.3 ₡43.2K

109.88%

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

$54.8 $54.8

$35.89 ₡16.1K

52.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 $66.4

$53.6 ₡24.0K

23.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$113 $113

$71.6 ₡32.1K

57.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$63.7 $63.7

$34.91 ₡15.7K

82.56%

Cinema Ticket

$15.24 $15.24

$7.89 ₡3,539

93.16%

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

$448 $448

$494 ₡221.6K

-9.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K $21.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

80.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$53.9 ₡24.2K

11.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 $43.36

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-21.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$77.9 ₡34.9K

34.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$79.6 ₡35.7K

81.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 $1,510

$788 ₡353.4K

91.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 $1,226

$794 ₡356.2K

54.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,771 $2,771

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-29.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 $2,180

$1,419 ₡636.5K

53.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,198 $2,198

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-68.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,178 $2,178

$1,224 ₡549.0K

77.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,127 $3,127

$864 ₡387.3K

262.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

8.62

-23.90%

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

Last update for Kansas City, KS: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kansas City, KS

$1.2K 45.5%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 35.2% $432

Groceries & Markets

Kansas City, KS

$403 15%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 12.7% $51

Eating Out

Kansas City, KS

$367 13.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 42.3% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kansas City, KS

$323 12%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 42.5% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Kansas City, KS

$159 5.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 24.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Kansas City, KS

$143 5.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 39.1% $56

Getting Around

Kansas City, KS

$71 2.7%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 22.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,510 in Kansas City, KS versus $788 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 262% higher in Kansas City, KS, 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 $81.0 in Kansas City, KS versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $352 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kansas City, KS

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

10:41 10:41 AM

1 h behind Kansas City, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

463,202

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Between locations

Kansas City, KS Nosara 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kansas City, 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

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

Kansas City, KS costs about 46% 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 $4,040 per month in Kansas City, KS and $2,758 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.

Kindergarten costs $448 per month in Kansas City, KS and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Kansas City, KS, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Kansas City, KS at $2,693. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kansas City, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,693 in Kansas City, 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, Kansas City, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.