Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kisii and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisii: $304 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Kisii

🇰🇪 Kenya

$304

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $304 in Kisii versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Kisii $304
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $442 in Kisii versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Kisii $442
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $580 in Kisii versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Kisii $580
Nosara $3,818

Living in Kisii costs roughly 83% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kisii is 77% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 KES 357

$12.35 ₡5,539

-77.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

Cappuccino

$1.40 KES 182

$4.41 ₡1,978

-68.25%

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

$0.81 KES 105

$1.74 ₡780

-53.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 KES 28.51

$1.31 ₡587

-83.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 KES 238

$3.28 ₡1,471

-44.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 KES 293

$4.47 ₡2,004

-49.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 KES 112

$1.56 ₡701

-44.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 KES 66.2

$3.02 ₡1,355

-83.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 KES 294

$2.51 ₡1,125

-9.96%

Eggs

$1.86 KES 241

$3.57 ₡1,603

-47.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.48 KES 581

$13.97 ₡6,265

-67.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 KES 246

$2.90 ₡1,300

-34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 KES 52.8

$1.12 ₡504

-63.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.51 KES 2,011

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-78.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 KES 104

$2.14 ₡958

-62.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.52 ₡682

0.66%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$11.4K KES 1.5M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-67.08%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$16.09 KES 2,086

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-55.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.10 KES 6,236

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-10.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

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

$38.12 KES 4,942

$494 ₡221.6K

-92.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.66 KES 1,512

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-78.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.59 KES 5,003

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-50.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.38 KES 3,939

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-61.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.6 KES 9,804

$794 ₡356.2K

-90.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 KES 19.6K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-89.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Kisii: 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

Kisii

–

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Groceries & Markets

Kisii

–

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Eating Out

Kisii

–

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kisii

–

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Kisii

–

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Kisii

–

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Getting Around

Kisii

–

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kisii

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

08:09 8:09 AM

9 h behind Kisii

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,000

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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kisii Nosara 13,350 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Kisii
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

Kisii vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kisii wins on cost – living expenses run 505% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kisii the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $456 in Kisii and $2,758 in Nosara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 563% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $304 per month in Kisii versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 505% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $304 in Kisii versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kisii but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kisii the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kisii delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $304 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kisii hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kisii 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 Kisii gentler on the wallet – expenses run 505% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.