Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $516 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
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Machakos Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$516

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $516 in Machakos versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Machakos $516
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $797 in Machakos versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Machakos $797
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,078 in Machakos versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Machakos $1,078
Nosara $3,814

Living in Machakos costs roughly 72% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Machakos is 62% below, Nosara is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.15 KES 408

$12.34 ₡5,535

-74.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.98 KES 2,461

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-69.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 KES 803

$7.76 ₡3,481

-20.23%

Cappuccino

$1.98 KES 257

$4.44 ₡1,992

-55.41%

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

$0.64 KES 83.0

$1.79 ₡803

-64.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 69.8

$1.29 ₡580

-58.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 KES 273

$3.24 ₡1,451

-34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 KES 352

$4.43 ₡1,985

-38.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.37 KES 48.53

$1.55 ₡696

-76.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 56.9

$3.08 ₡1,380

-85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 KES 95.4

$2.53 ₡1,133

-70.75%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 177

$3.45 ₡1,546

-60.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 KES 1,391

$7.32 ₡3,284

46.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 KES 815

$10.24 ₡4,594

-38.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 KES 589

$14.10 ₡6,326

-67.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 KES 205

$2.29 ₡1,027

-31.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 95.2

$1.64 ₡737

-55.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.40 KES 52.4

$4.79 ₡2,149

-91.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.41 KES 53.1

$1.64 ₡735

-75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$3.85 ₡1,727

-79.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 KES 104

$3.75 ₡1,681

-78.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 KES 88.4

$1.09 ₡488

-37.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 KES 49.11

$2.59 ₡1,160

-85.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 KES 455

$5.12 ₡2,295

-31.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 KES 1,483

$19.92 ₡8,931

-42.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 KES 247

$2.80 ₡1,255

-32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 KES 363

$3.52 ₡1,580

-20.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 KES 103

$2.17 ₡973

-63.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.56 ₡698

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 KES 368

$8.67 ₡3,886

-67.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 KES 193

$1.55 ₡697

-3.87%

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

$19.2K KES 2.5M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-44.53%

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

$21.5K KES 2.8M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-44.62%

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

$56.1 KES 7,279

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-40.79%

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

$7.82 KES 1,014

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-78.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.48 KES 1,488

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-78.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.18 KES 4,950

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-48.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 KES 987

$7.91 ₡3,548

-3.67%

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

$45.44 KES 5,892

$490 ₡219.9K

-90.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

3.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.34 KES 1,470

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-79.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 KES 3,719

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-48.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.4 KES 8,991

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-13.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.50 KES 4,992

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-50.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 KES 12.2K

$801 ₡359.1K

-88.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 KES 8,905

$790 ₡354.1K

-91.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 20.0K

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-96.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 15.0K

$1,409 ₡632.0K

-91.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$383 KES 49.6K

$887 ₡397.6K

-56.81%

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 Machakos: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Machakos

$159 30.8%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 120% $191

Eating Out

Machakos

$88 17.1%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 141% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machakos

$75 14.6%

Nosara

$184 10% 144% $109

Accommodation & Living

Machakos

$69 13.3%

Nosara

$790 43% 1050% $721

Clothing & Footwear

Machakos

$67 12.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 81.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Machakos

$53 10.4%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 67.8% $36

Getting Around

Machakos

$4.7 * 0.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 1788% $84

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 $93.9 in Machakos and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 132% 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: $19.00 in Machakos vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $350 per month, with Machakos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Machakos

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:33 10:33 AM

01:33 1:33 AM

9 h behind Machakos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,109

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 22, 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 22, 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

Machakos Nosara 13,640 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Machakos
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

Machakos vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 256% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 132% 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: $93.9 in Machakos versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 120% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $516 per month in Machakos versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 256% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $516 in Machakos versus $1,835 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Machakos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $516 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Machakos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Machakos 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 Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 256% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.