Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiambu and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kiambu: $498 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Kiambu
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Kiambu Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

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Kiambu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$498

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $498 in Kiambu versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Kiambu $498
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $818 in Kiambu versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Kiambu $818
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,137 in Kiambu versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Kiambu $1,137
Nosara $3,818

Living in Kiambu costs roughly 73% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kiambu is 63% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.17 KES 800

$12.35 ₡5,539

-50.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.00 KES 4,537

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-42.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 KES 838

$7.52 ₡3,373

-13.96%

Cappuccino

$2.67 KES 347

$4.41 ₡1,978

-39.46%

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

$0.63 KES 81.4

$1.74 ₡780

-63.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 KES 78.1

$1.31 ₡587

-54.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 KES 293

$3.28 ₡1,471

-31.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 KES 342

$4.47 ₡2,004

-40.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.54 KES 69.6

$1.56 ₡701

-65.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 KES 71.8

$3.02 ₡1,355

-81.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 KES 243

$2.51 ₡1,125

-25.10%

Eggs

$1.35 KES 175

$3.57 ₡1,603

-62.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.52 KES 1,364

$7.43 ₡3,333

41.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 KES 807

$10.52 ₡4,717

-40.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.99 KES 518

$13.97 ₡6,265

-71.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 KES 440

$2.35 ₡1,052

44.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 KES 141

$1.61 ₡720

-32.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 KES 95.8

$4.80 ₡2,152

-84.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 KES 77.0

$1.61 ₡724

-63.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 KES 90.9

$3.80 ₡1,703

-81.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.6

$3.69 ₡1,657

-80.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 KES 38.34

$1.13 ₡507

-73.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 KES 53.0

$2.66 ₡1,191

-84.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 KES 463

$5.18 ₡2,321

-31.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 KES 1,486

$19.88 ₡8,916

-42.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 KES 285

$2.90 ₡1,300

-24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 KES 347

$3.63 ₡1,626

-26.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 KES 89.1

$1.12 ₡504

-38.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 203

$2.14 ₡958

-26.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 KES 51.9

$1.57 ₡703

-74.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 KES 371

$8.52 ₡3,823

-66.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 KES 206

$1.52 ₡682

4.61%

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

$21.5K KES 2.8M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-0.31%

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

$20.0K KES 2.6M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-42.05%

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

$55.8 KES 7,240

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-42.01%

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

$7.54 KES 978

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-78.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 KES 4,467

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-35.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 KES 767

$7.89 ₡3,539

-24.97%

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

$249 KES 32.3K

$494 ₡221.6K

-49.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

4.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.53 KES 3,698

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-47.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.62 KES 3,710

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-48.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 KES 9,097

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-9.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.7 KES 7,478

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-27.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 KES 14.8K

$788 ₡353.4K

-85.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,160 KES 150.4K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-83.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$124 KES 16.1K

$864 ₡387.3K

-85.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

8.62

70.65%

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

Last update for Kiambu: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kiambu

$177 35.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 99.3% $175

Eating Out

Kiambu

$122 24.6%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 73.1% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kiambu

$98 19.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 89.9% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Kiambu

$83 16.7%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 44.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Kiambu

$12 * 2.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 638% $76

Getting Around

Kiambu

$6.3 * 1.3%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 1278% $81

Accommodation & Living

Kiambu

- * 0%

Nosara

$794 43.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $114 in Kiambu and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 594% 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: $35.00 in Kiambu vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $352 per month, with Kiambu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kiambu

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

14:44 2:44 PM

05:44 5:44 AM

9 h behind Kiambu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

147,870

4,912

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kiambu Nosara 13,580 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Kiambu
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

Kiambu vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiambu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 269% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 594% 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: $114 in Kiambu versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $249 in Kiambu versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiambu – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $61.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $498 in Kiambu versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kiambu but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kiambu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kiambu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nosara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kiambu 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 Kiambu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 269% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.