Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manhattan, KS and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

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

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,249

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,249 in Manhattan, KS versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Manhattan, KS $2,249
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Manhattan, KS versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Manhattan, KS $3,271
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,292 in Manhattan, KS versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Manhattan, KS $4,292
Nosara $3,818

Living in Manhattan, KS is roughly 22% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manhattan, KS 67% above, Nosara 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.10 $15.10

$12.35 ₡5,539

22.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$61.2 ₡27.4K

32.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$7.52 ₡3,373

60.90%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$4.41 ₡1,978

22.68%

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

$1.97 $1.97

$1.74 ₡780

13.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.31 ₡587

12.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.28 ₡1,471

55.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 $9.19

$4.47 ₡2,004

105.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.56 ₡701

-43.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.02 ₡1,355

7.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$2.51 ₡1,125

150.20%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$3.57 ₡1,603

25.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 $11.77

$7.43 ₡3,333

58.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$10.52 ₡4,717

-17.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 $14.68

$13.97 ₡6,265

5.08%

Apples (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$2.35 ₡1,052

188.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.61 ₡720

34.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$4.80 ₡2,152

20.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.61 ₡724

166.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.80 ₡1,703

-11.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.69 ₡1,657

2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.13 ₡507

62.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$5.18 ₡2,321

84.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.24 $17.24

$19.88 ₡8,916

-13.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.90 ₡1,300

-41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.63 ₡1,626

-30.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-16.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.14 ₡958

128.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.57 ₡703

21.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.39 $34.39

$8.52 ₡3,823

303.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.52 ₡682

-39.47%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

63.69%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-25.87%

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

$144 $144

$96.3 ₡43.2K

50.03%

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

$47.66 $47.66

$35.89 ₡16.1K

32.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$53.6 ₡24.0K

23.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.5 $74.5

$71.6 ₡32.1K

4.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$7.89 ₡3,539

88.21%

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

$833 $833

$494 ₡221.6K

68.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K $11.4K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-3.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 $48.15

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-10.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.94 $34.94

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-36.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$77.9 ₡34.9K

14.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$79.6 ₡35.7K

44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 $927

$788 ₡353.4K

17.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 $998

$794 ₡356.2K

25.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 $1,457

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-63.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$1,419 ₡636.5K

2.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,366 $1,366

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-80.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,400 $1,400

$1,224 ₡549.0K

14.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,433 $3,433

$864 ₡387.3K

297.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

8.62

-26.57%

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

Last update for Manhattan, KS: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 20.4% $204

Groceries & Markets

Manhattan, KS

$404 18%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 12.8% $52

Eating Out

Manhattan, KS

$280 12.4%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 24.3% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manhattan, KS

$258 11.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 28.1% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Manhattan, KS

$130 5.8%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 7.3% $9.4

Sport & Entertainment

Manhattan, KS

$104 4.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 16.1% $17

Getting Around

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 15.7% $12

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 $927 in Manhattan, KS and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manhattan, KS pays 298% 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: $81.0 in Manhattan, KS vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $352 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

01:48 1:48 AM

1 h behind Manhattan, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,694,251

4,912

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Manhattan, KS Nosara 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Manhattan, 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

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

Nosara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 298% higher in Manhattan, KS, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $927 in Manhattan, KS versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $833 in Manhattan, KS versus $494 in Nosara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Manhattan, KS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,839 in Nosara versus $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Manhattan, KS. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nosara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Manhattan, KS, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Manhattan, KS 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Manhattan, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.