Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mangaf and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mangaf: $1,058 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Mangaf
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Mangaf Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mangaf

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,058

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,058 per month in Mangaf vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Mangaf $1,058
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $1,337 per month in Mangaf vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Mangaf $1,337
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $1,616 per month in Mangaf vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Mangaf $1,616
Nosara $3,818

Mangaf is about 42% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mangaf sits 22% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 KWD 1.99

$12.35 ₡5,539

-47.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 KWD 19.57

$61.2 ₡27.4K

3.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 KWD 1.95

$7.52 ₡3,373

-15.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 KWD 0.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 KWD 1.51

Cappuccino

$4.71 KWD 1.45

$4.41 ₡1,978

6.80%

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

$0.30 KWD 0.09

$1.74 ₡780

-82.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 KWD 0.10

$1.31 ₡587

-76.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 KWD 0.48

$1.56 ₡701

0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 KWD 0.47

$3.02 ₡1,355

-49.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 KWD 0.60

$2.51 ₡1,125

-22.31%

Eggs

$2.03 KWD 0.63

$3.57 ₡1,603

-43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.47 KWD 1.38

$7.43 ₡3,333

-39.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 KWD 2.11

$10.52 ₡4,717

-34.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 KWD 3.12

$13.97 ₡6,265

-27.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

$2.35 ₡1,052

5.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 KWD 0.56

$1.61 ₡720

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KWD 0.55

$4.80 ₡2,152

-62.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 KWD 0.45

$1.61 ₡724

-8.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 KWD 0.40

$3.80 ₡1,703

-65.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 KWD 0.46

$3.69 ₡1,657

-59.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 KWD 0.72

$1.13 ₡507

106.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KWD 0.14

$2.66 ₡1,191

-82.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.25 KWD 1.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 KWD 0.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 KWD 0.82

$5.18 ₡2,321

-48.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 KWD 1.50

$2.14 ₡958

127.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 KWD 0.97

$1.57 ₡703

101.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.22 KWD 5.00

$8.52 ₡3,823

90.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 KWD 0.11

$1.52 ₡682

-76.97%

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

$20.9K KWD 6,452

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-3.09%

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

$20.1K KWD 6,207

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-41.63%

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

$65.4 KWD 20.16

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-32.04%

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

$22.22 KWD 6.85

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-38.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 KWD 9.13

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-44.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.90 KWD 15.06

$71.6 ₡32.1K

-31.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 KWD 3.45

$7.89 ₡3,539

42.08%

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

$296 KWD 91.3

$494 ₡221.6K

-40.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,239 KWD 2,846

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-22.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.09 KWD 11.74

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-29.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 KWD 12.26

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-28.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 KWD 29.83

$77.9 ₡34.9K

24.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 KWD 26.90

$79.6 ₡35.7K

9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 KWD 74.8

$788 ₡353.4K

-69.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 KWD 128

$794 ₡356.2K

-47.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

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 %)

6.53

8.62

-24.25%

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

Last update for Mangaf: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mangaf

$416 39.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 90.8% $378

Groceries & Markets

Mangaf

$185 17.5%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 90.9% $168

Eating Out

Mangaf

$130 12.3%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 63.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Mangaf

$118 11.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 1.8% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mangaf

$117 11.1%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 58.3% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Mangaf

$71 6.7%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 22.5% $16

Getting Around

Mangaf

$21 * 2%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 322% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $243 in Mangaf 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Mangaf versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Mangaf vs $352 in Nosara – so Mangaf wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Mangaf

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:35 4:35 AM

19:35 7:35 PM

9 h behind Mangaf

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,025

4,912

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KWD – Kuwaiti Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇼 Kuwaiti Dinar (د.ك)

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 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).

USD to KWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mangaf Nosara 13,430 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mangaf
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

Mangaf vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,586 per month in Mangaf and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mangaf, 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 $64.0 in Mangaf and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 91% more in Nosara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mangaf, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Mangaf it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mangaf – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Mangaf. 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.