Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Killeen, TX and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,106 in Killeen, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Killeen, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,106
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,106 in Killeen, TX versus $1,835 in Nosara.

  • Killeen, TX $2,106
  • Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Killeen, TX versus $2,825 in Nosara.

  • Killeen, TX $3,276
  • Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Killeen, TX versus $3,814 in Nosara.

  • Killeen, TX $4,447
  • Nosara $3,814

Living in Killeen, TX is roughly 15% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Killeen, TX 55% above, Nosara 35% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Killeen, TX
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.34 $20.34
$12.34 ₡5,535
64.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.3 $65.3
$61.3 ₡27.5K
6.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.77 $11.77
$7.76 ₡3,481
51.68%
Cappuccino
$5.43 $5.43
$4.44 ₡1,992
22.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.79 ₡803
63.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 $1.87
$1.29 ₡580
44.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.06 $5.06
$3.24 ₡1,451
56.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.78 $5.78
$4.43 ₡1,985
30.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Killeen, TX
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.55 ₡696
-32.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 $2.30
$3.08 ₡1,380
-25.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.77 $4.77
$2.53 ₡1,133
88.54%
Eggs
$3.99 $3.99
$3.45 ₡1,546
15.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.67 $8.67
$7.32 ₡3,284
18.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.14 $11.14
$10.24 ₡4,594
8.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.15 $18.15
$14.10 ₡6,326
28.72%
Apples (1kg)
$5.75 $5.75
$2.29 ₡1,027
151.09%
Banana (1kg)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.64 ₡737
-42.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.04 $5.04
$4.79 ₡2,149
5.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.13 $4.13
$1.64 ₡735
151.83%
Potato (1kg)
$2.40 $2.40
$3.85 ₡1,727
-37.66%
Onion (1kg)
$2.87 $2.87
$3.75 ₡1,681
-23.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.09 ₡488
76.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.85 $2.85
$2.59 ₡1,160
10.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.03 $6.03
$5.12 ₡2,295
17.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.73 $11.73
$19.92 ₡8,931
-41.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.08 $2.08
$2.80 ₡1,255
-25.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 $1.83
$3.52 ₡1,580
-48.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Killeen, TX
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.22 ₡549
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.9 $72.9
$73.9 ₡33.1K
-1.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 $3.08
$2.17 ₡973
41.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.56 ₡698
14.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.76 $14.76
$8.67 ₡3,886
70.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$1.55 ₡697
-40.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$34.5K ₡15.5M
3.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.2K $24.2K
$38.7K ₡17.4M
-37.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Killeen, TX
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 $191
$94.8 ₡42.5K
101.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$36.15 ₡16.2K
60.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.6 $66.6
$53.1 ₡23.8K
25.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Killeen, TX
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.01 $23.01
$73.8 ₡33.1K
-68.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$35.63 ₡16.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.96 $12.96
$7.91 ₡3,548
63.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Killeen, TX
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,090 $2,090
$490 ₡219.9K
326.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.0K $24.0K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
102.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Killeen, TX
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.16 $38.16
$54.8 ₡24.6K
-30.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.71 $19.71
$55.9 ₡25.1K
-64.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$63.4 $63.4
$80.4 ₡36.0K
-21.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$64.3 $64.3
$77.9 ₡34.9K
-17.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Killeen, TX
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,010 $1,010
$801 ₡359.1K
26.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$882 $882
$790 ₡354.1K
11.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,553 $1,553
$4,005 ₡1.8M
-61.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,791 $1,791
$1,409 ₡632.0K
27.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,747 $1,747
$7,064 ₡3.2M
-75.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,758 $1,758
$1,236 ₡554.3K
42.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Killeen, TX
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,303 $3,303
$887 ₡397.6K
272.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.71
8.62
-22.16%

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

Last update for Killeen, 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
Killeen, TX
$882
Nosara
$790 10.5% $92
Groceries & Markets
Killeen, TX
$372
Nosara
$350 6% $22
Eating Out
Killeen, TX
$319
Nosara
$213 33.4% $107
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Killeen, TX
$315
Nosara
$184 41.6% $131
Getting Around
Killeen, TX
$85 *
Nosara
$89 4.6% $3.9
Clothing & Footwear
Killeen, TX
$83
Nosara
$121 44.9% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Killeen, TX
$49
Nosara
$90 83.1% $41

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 $1,010 in Killeen, TX and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Killeen, TX pays 273% 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: $65.0 in Killeen, TX vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Killeen, TX
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
11:58 11:58 AM
10:58 10:58 AM
1 h behind Killeen, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
153,095
4,912
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Killeen, TX Nosara 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Killeen, 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
Killeen, TX vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Killeen, TX and in Nosara?
Killeen, TX and Nosara differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,106 vs $1,835 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Killeen, TX or Nosara?
Average pay runs 273% higher in Killeen, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Killeen, TX and in Nosara?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,010 in Killeen, TX versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Killeen, TX and in Nosara?
A monthly transit pass in Nosara runs roughly 1% less than in Killeen, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Killeen, TX and Nosara?
Childcare runs $2,090 in Killeen, TX versus $490 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,106 in Killeen, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Killeen, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Killeen, TX and Nosara?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Killeen, TX or Nosara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Killeen, TX 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.
Where should expats move: Killeen, TX or Nosara?
Expats usually find Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Killeen, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Killeen, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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