Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mankato, MN and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,094 in Mankato, MN, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Mankato, MN
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Mankato, MN Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mankato, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,094

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,094 in Mankato, MN versus $1,835 in Nosara.

Mankato, MN $2,094
Nosara $1,835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,125 in Mankato, MN versus $2,825 in Nosara.

Mankato, MN $3,125
Nosara $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,157 in Mankato, MN versus $3,814 in Nosara.

Mankato, MN $4,157
Nosara $3,814

Living in Mankato, MN is roughly 14% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mankato, MN 55% above, Nosara 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 $20.07

$12.34 ₡5,535

62.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 $71.1

$61.3 ₡27.5K

15.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 $10.14

$7.76 ₡3,481

30.67%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$4.44 ₡1,992

13.06%

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

$2.12 $2.12

$1.79 ₡803

18.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.29 ₡580

27.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.24 ₡1,451

53.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 $5.60

$4.43 ₡1,985

26.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.55 ₡696

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.08 ₡1,380

-4.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.53 ₡1,133

31.23%

Eggs

$3.37 $3.37

$3.45 ₡1,546

-2.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 $8.40

$7.32 ₡3,284

14.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.35 $16.35

$10.24 ₡4,594

59.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 $16.97

$14.10 ₡6,326

20.35%

Apples (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$2.29 ₡1,027

235.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.64 ₡737

40.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$4.79 ₡2,149

34.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.64 ₡735

134.76%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.85 ₡1,727

5.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.75 ₡1,681

2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.09 ₡488

137.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.59 ₡1,160

-20.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.12 $10.12

$5.12 ₡2,295

97.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 $14.97

$19.92 ₡8,931

-24.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.80 ₡1,255

-38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.52 ₡1,580

17.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.17 ₡973

-9.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.56 ₡698

-18.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 $20.35

$8.67 ₡3,886

134.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.55 ₡697

-43.87%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-21.59%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-33.98%

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

$190 $190

$94.8 ₡42.5K

100.86%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$36.15 ₡16.2K

44.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.6 $77.6

$53.1 ₡23.8K

46.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 $39.45

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-46.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 $9.92

$7.91 ₡3,548

25.41%

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

$1,362 $1,362

$490 ₡219.9K

177.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

1.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$54.8 ₡24.6K

22.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.63 $35.63

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-36.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 $77.9

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.8 $75.8

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-2.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 $1,014

$801 ₡359.1K

26.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 $866

$790 ₡354.1K

9.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-45.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 $1,440

$1,409 ₡632.0K

2.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,644 $1,644

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-76.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,646 $1,646

$1,236 ₡554.3K

33.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,364 $4,364

$887 ₡397.6K

392.19%

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 Mankato, MN: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mankato, MN

$866 41.4%

Nosara

$790 43% 8.8% $77

Groceries & Markets

Mankato, MN

$422 20.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 17.2% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mankato, MN

$320 15.3%

Nosara

$184 10% 42.6% $136

Eating Out

Mankato, MN

$302 14.4%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 29.6% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Mankato, MN

$115 5.5%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 4.9% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Mankato, MN

$59 2.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 51.2% $30

Getting Around

Mankato, MN

$8.3 * 0.4%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 968% $80

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 $1,014 in Mankato, MN and $801 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mankato, MN pays 392% 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: $71.0 in Mankato, MN vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $422 vs $350 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mankato, MN

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

10:16 10:16 AM

1 h behind Mankato, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,309

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Highest

Between locations

Mankato, MN Nosara 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mankato, MN
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

Mankato, MN vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mankato, MN and Nosara differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,094 vs $1,835 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 392% higher in Mankato, MN, 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: $1,014 in Mankato, MN versus $801 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Mankato, MN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,094 per month in Mankato, MN versus $1,835 in Nosara – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,835 in Nosara versus $2,094 in Mankato, MN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Mankato, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mankato, MN 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 14% less than in Mankato, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.