Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lawrence, KS and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,242 in Lawrence, KS, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lawrence, KS
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Lawrence, KS Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Lawrence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,242

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,242 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $2,242
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $3,313 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $3,313
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $4,383 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $4,383
Nosara $3,712

Lawrence, KS costs about 22% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lawrence, KS and Nosara sit above the global median – Lawrence, KS by 67%, Nosara by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.03 $15.03

$12.22 ₡5,509

23.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$60.2 ₡27.1K

25.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 $10.97

$7.54 ₡3,399

45.49%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$4.31 ₡1,941

17.87%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$1.72 ₡773

45.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.35 ₡608

34.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.24 ₡1,459

81.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$4.48 ₡2,018

64.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.57 ₡707

-47.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.17 ₡1,429

-1.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.42 ₡1,091

78.10%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$3.57 ₡1,609

9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$7.43 ₡3,349

48.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$10.42 ₡4,697

21.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 $16.68

$13.66 ₡6,156

22.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$2.32 ₡1,044

133.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.61 ₡728

31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.74 ₡2,138

3.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.66 ₡747

148.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.72 ₡1,679

-51.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.57 ₡1,611

-17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.10 ₡497

53.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.55 ₡1,149

10.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 $7.06

$4.95 ₡2,232

42.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 $14.16

$20.01 ₡9,020

-29.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.79 ₡1,256

-37.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.53 ₡1,589

-52.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.24 ₡1,011

32.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.55 ₡701

-12.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.50 $25.50

$8.86 ₡3,993

187.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.57 ₡708

-40.13%

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

$22.6K $22.6K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

3.79%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-30.50%

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

$279 $279

$93.5 ₡42.1K

198.04%

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

$63.7 $63.7

$35.11 ₡15.8K

81.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$51.5 ₡23.2K

25.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 $44.86

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-37.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 $12.06

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-65.97%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 $12.24

$7.84 ₡3,535

56.12%

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

$992 $992

$490 ₡220.7K

102.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

63.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-3.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 $39.24

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-29.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 $79.4

$79.3 ₡35.7K

0.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$78.9 ₡35.6K

29.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 $1,191

$786 ₡354.3K

51.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 $907

$780 ₡351.6K

16.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 $1,944

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-49.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 $1,665

$1,407 ₡634.4K

18.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-66.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,201 ₡541.3K

75.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,805 $3,805

$876 ₡395.0K

334.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

8.62

-23.78%

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

Last update for Lawrence, KS: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lawrence, KS

$907 41.6%

Nosara

$780 43% 14% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lawrence, KS

$407 18.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 55.7% $227

Groceries & Markets

Lawrence, KS

$391 17.9%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 10.7% $42

Eating Out

Lawrence, KS

$275 12.6%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 24% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Lawrence, KS

$123 5.6%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 1.8% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Lawrence, KS

$69 3.2%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 25.6% $18

Getting Around

Lawrence, KS

$9.7 * 0.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 793% $77

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,191 in Lawrence, KS versus $786 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 334% higher in Lawrence, KS, 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 $76.0 in Lawrence, KS versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $350 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lawrence, KS

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

01:59 1:59 AM

1 h behind Lawrence, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,358

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lawrence, KS Nosara 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lawrence, KS
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

Lawrence, KS vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lawrence, KS costs about 22% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,363 per month in Lawrence, KS and $2,756 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Lawrence, KS and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Lawrence, KS, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Lawrence, KS at $2,242. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lawrence, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $2,242 in Lawrence, KS. 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, Lawrence, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.