Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kostroma and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostroma: $1,228 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kostroma
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,228
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,228 per month in Kostroma vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Kostroma $1,228
  • Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,964 per month in Kostroma vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Kostroma $1,964
  • Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $2,700 per month in Kostroma vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Kostroma $2,700
  • Nosara $3,818

Kostroma is about 33% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Kostroma sits 9% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kostroma
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.72 ₽978
$12.35 ₡5,539
-5.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.2 ₽4,940
$61.2 ₡27.4K
-3.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.31 ₽610
$7.52 ₡3,373
-2.79%
Cappuccino
$3.69 ₽308
$4.41 ₡1,978
-16.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 ₽132
$1.74 ₡780
-9.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.89 ₽74.0
$1.31 ₡587
-32.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.75 ₽146
$3.28 ₡1,471
-46.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.39 ₽449
$4.47 ₡2,004
20.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kostroma
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 ₽107
$1.56 ₡701
-17.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.01 ₽84.0
$3.02 ₡1,355
-66.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.66 ₽139
$2.51 ₡1,125
-33.86%
Eggs
$1.96 ₽163
$3.57 ₡1,603
-45.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.64 ₽1,222
$7.43 ₡3,333
97.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.55 ₽547
$10.52 ₡4,717
-37.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.95 ₽1,248
$13.97 ₡6,265
7.02%
Apples (1kg)
$2.07 ₽173
$2.35 ₡1,052
-11.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.76 ₽147
$1.61 ₡720
9.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 ₽169
$4.80 ₡2,152
-57.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.08 ₽341
$1.61 ₡724
153.42%
Potato (1kg)
$0.93 ₽77.3
$3.80 ₡1,703
-75.53%
Onion (1kg)
$0.75 ₽62.4
$3.69 ₡1,657
-79.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.63 ₽136
$1.13 ₡507
44.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 ₽76.7
$2.66 ₡1,191
-65.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.54 ₽296
$5.18 ₡2,321
-31.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.92 ₽995
$19.88 ₡8,916
-40.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 ₽100
$2.90 ₡1,300
-58.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65 ₽221
$3.63 ₡1,626
-27.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Kostroma
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.49 ₽40.96
$1.12 ₡504
-56.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.6 ₡32.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.46 ₽289
$2.14 ₡958
61.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 ₽29.46
$1.57 ₡703
-77.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.76 ₽982
$8.52 ₡3,823
38.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 ₽69.2
$1.52 ₡682
-45.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.5K ₽3.3M
$21.6K ₡9.7M
82.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K ₽3.3M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
13.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kostroma
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 ₽15.7K
$96.3 ₡43.2K
95.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.10 ₽759
$35.89 ₡16.1K
-74.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.89 ₽825
$53.6 ₡24.0K
-81.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kostroma
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.56 ₽3,218
$71.6 ₡32.1K
-46.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.29 ₽2,027
$34.91 ₡15.7K
-30.42%
Cinema Ticket
$9.55 ₽797
$7.89 ₡3,539
21.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kostroma
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$350 ₽29.2K
$494 ₡221.6K
-29.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,197 ₽517.2K
$11.9K ₡5.3M
-47.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kostroma
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 ₽9,247
$53.9 ₡24.2K
105.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.2 ₽5,521
$55.4 ₡24.8K
19.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$147 ₽12.2K
$77.9 ₡34.9K
88.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$180 ₽15.0K
$79.6 ₡35.7K
126.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kostroma
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$515 ₽42.9K
$788 ₡353.4K
-34.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$275 ₽23.0K
$794 ₡356.2K
-65.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$811 ₽67.7K
$3,939 ₡1.8M
-79.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$532 ₽44.4K
$1,419 ₡636.5K
-62.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,209 ₽184.4K
$6,912 ₡3.1M
-68.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,486 ₽124.0K
$1,224 ₡549.0K
21.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kostroma
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$737 ₽61.5K
$864 ₡387.3K
-14.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
19.56
8.62
126.91%

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

Last update for Kostroma: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kostroma
$275
Nosara
$794 189% $519
Groceries & Markets
Kostroma
$265
Nosara
$352 32.8% $87
Clothing & Footwear
Kostroma
$227
Nosara
$120 47% $106
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kostroma
$207
Nosara
$186 10.2% $21
Eating Out
Kostroma
$189
Nosara
$212 11.9% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Kostroma
$58
Nosara
$87 51.6% $30
Getting Around
Kostroma
$7.2 *
Nosara
$87 1112% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $515 in Kostroma 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 17% higher in Nosara, 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 $59.0 in Kostroma versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $265 vs $352 – making Kostroma the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Kostroma
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
05:58 5:58 AM
20:58 8:58 PM
9 h behind Kostroma
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
277,393
4,912
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kostroma Nosara 11,070 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kostroma
  • Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Kostroma vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kostroma or Nosara?
Nosara costs about 50% more than Kostroma, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kostroma and in Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,842 per month in Kostroma and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kostroma or Nosara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kostroma, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Kostroma and in Nosara?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Kostroma and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Kostroma or in Nosara?
Groceries cost about 33% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Kostroma or in Nosara?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kostroma, where all-in costs run around $1,228, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kostroma it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kostroma or Nosara?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kostroma costs $1,228 versus $1,839 in Nosara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Kostroma compared to Nosara?
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.
Should I move to Kostroma or to Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Kostroma. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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