Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Katy, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,431 in Katy, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Katy, TX
Learn more

Katy, TX Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Katy, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,431

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,431 per month in Katy, TX vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Katy, TX $2,431
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,672 per month in Katy, TX vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Katy, TX $3,672
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,913 per month in Katy, TX vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Katy, TX $4,913
Nosara $3,814

Katy, TX costs about 32% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Katy, TX and Nosara sit above the global median – Katy, TX by 79%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 $16.86

$12.34 ₡5,535

36.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.5 $60.5

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-1.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 $8.79

$7.76 ₡3,481

13.27%

Cappuccino

$3.58 $3.58

$4.44 ₡1,992

-19.37%

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

$2.05 $2.05

$1.79 ₡803

14.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.29 ₡580

59.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.24 ₡1,451

21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.43 ₡1,985

23.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.55 ₡696

-41.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.08 ₡1,380

18.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.53 ₡1,133

17.79%

Eggs

$3.08 $3.08

$3.45 ₡1,546

-10.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 $12.77

$7.32 ₡3,284

74.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 $9.27

$10.24 ₡4,594

-9.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 $16.07

$14.10 ₡6,326

13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.29 ₡1,027

64.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.64 ₡737

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$4.79 ₡2,149

-38.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.64 ₡735

92.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.85 ₡1,727

-45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.75 ₡1,681

-37.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.09 ₡488

62.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.59 ₡1,160

-52.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.77 $9.77

$5.12 ₡2,295

90.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 $12.36

$19.92 ₡8,931

-37.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.80 ₡1,255

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.52 ₡1,580

-53.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.22 ₡549

276.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 $91.0

$73.9 ₡33.1K

23.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.17 ₡973

29.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.56 ₡698

1.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.39 $34.39

$8.67 ₡3,886

296.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.55 ₡697

-47.10%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-5.92%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-36.64%

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

$226 $226

$94.8 ₡42.5K

138.66%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$36.15 ₡16.2K

58.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$53.1 ₡23.8K

33.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.38 $30.38

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-58.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.12 $25.12

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-29.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 $11.93

$7.91 ₡3,548

50.82%

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

$1,004 $1,004

$490 ₡219.9K

104.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K $19.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

62.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-3.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.11 $43.11

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-22.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 $86.8

$80.4 ₡36.0K

7.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$77.9 ₡34.9K

33.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 $1,594

$801 ₡359.1K

99.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 $1,196

$790 ₡354.1K

51.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,601 $2,601

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-35.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 $2,268

$1,409 ₡632.0K

60.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,028 $2,028

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-71.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,693 $1,693

$1,236 ₡554.3K

36.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,760 $5,760

$887 ₡397.6K

549.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

8.62

-25.64%

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

Last update for Katy, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Katy, TX

$1.2K 49.2%

Nosara

$790 43% 34% $406

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Katy, TX

$354 14.6%

Nosara

$184 10% 48.1% $170

Groceries & Markets

Katy, TX

$326 13.4%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 7.2% $23

Eating Out

Katy, TX

$251 10.3%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 15.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Katy, TX

$129 5.3%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 6% $7.8

Getting Around

Katy, TX

$120 4.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 26% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Katy, TX

$54 2.2%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 65.2% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,594 in Katy, TX 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 550% higher in Katy, TX, 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 $61.0 in Katy, TX versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $350 – making Katy, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Katy, TX

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

14:35 2:35 PM

1 h behind Katy, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,102

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Katy, TX Nosara 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Katy, TX
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

Katy, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Katy, TX costs about 32% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,646 per month in Katy, TX 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Katy, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Katy, TX and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Katy, TX at $2,431. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Katy, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,431 in Katy, TX. 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, Katy, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.