Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanyuki and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanyuki: $606 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Nanyuki
Learn more

Nanyuki Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Nanyuki

🇰🇪 Kenya

$606

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $606 in Nanyuki versus $1,839 in Nosara.

Nanyuki $606
Nosara $1,839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,014 in Nanyuki versus $2,828 in Nosara.

Nanyuki $1,014
Nosara $2,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,422 in Nanyuki versus $3,818 in Nosara.

Nanyuki $1,422
Nosara $3,818

Living in Nanyuki costs roughly 67% less than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nanyuki is 55% below, Nosara is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 KES 838

$12.35 ₡5,539

-47.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.36 KES 4,455

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-43.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 KES 838

$7.52 ₡3,373

-14.10%

Cappuccino

$2.65 KES 343

$4.41 ₡1,978

-39.91%

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

$0.67 KES 86.3

$1.74 ₡780

-61.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 KES 73.5

$1.31 ₡587

-56.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 KES 291

$3.28 ₡1,471

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 KES 342

$4.47 ₡2,004

-40.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 119

$1.56 ₡701

-41.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 KES 72.9

$3.02 ₡1,355

-81.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 KES 147

$2.51 ₡1,125

-54.98%

Eggs

$1.70 KES 221

$3.57 ₡1,603

-52.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 KES 1,386

$7.43 ₡3,333

43.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.40 KES 830

$10.52 ₡4,717

-39.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.17 KES 800

$13.97 ₡6,265

-55.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 KES 423

$2.35 ₡1,052

39.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 KES 141

$1.61 ₡720

-32.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 KES 253

$4.80 ₡2,152

-59.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 KES 143

$1.61 ₡724

-31.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 KES 145

$3.80 ₡1,703

-70.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$3.69 ₡1,657

-71.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 95.4

$1.13 ₡507

-34.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 KES 96.8

$2.66 ₡1,191

-71.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 KES 455

$5.18 ₡2,321

-32.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 KES 1,502

$19.88 ₡8,916

-41.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 KES 288

$2.90 ₡1,300

-23.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 KES 365

$3.63 ₡1,626

-22.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 204

$2.14 ₡958

-26.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 KES 386

$8.52 ₡3,823

-65.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 KES 206

$1.52 ₡682

4.61%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

1.22%

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

$20.5K KES 2.7M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-40.62%

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

$56.2 KES 7,288

$96.3 ₡43.2K

-41.62%

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

$14.87 KES 1,927

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-58.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.63 KES 4,489

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-35.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 KES 977

$7.89 ₡3,539

-4.44%

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

$253 KES 32.8K

$494 ₡221.6K

-48.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

2.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.78 KES 3,601

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-48.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.61 KES 3,838

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-46.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 KES 9,186

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 KES 7,630

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-26.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$78.2 KES 10.1K

$788 ₡353.4K

-90.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$64.9 KES 8,408

$794 ₡356.2K

-91.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 KES 30.2K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-94.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 KES 24.9K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-86.49%

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)

$116 KES 15.1K

$864 ₡387.3K

-86.53%

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 Nanyuki: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nanyuki

$202 33.4%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 74.2% $150

Eating Out

Nanyuki

$124 20.5%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 70.4% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanyuki

$106 17.5%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 75.7% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Nanyuki

$84 13.9%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 42.6% $36

Accommodation & Living

Nanyuki

$65 10.7%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 1125% $729

Sport & Entertainment

Nanyuki

$15 * 2.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 480% $72

Getting Around

Nanyuki

$9.4 * 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 824% $78

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 $78.2 in Nanyuki and $788 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 642% 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: $34.00 in Nanyuki vs $61.0 in Nosara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $352 per month, with Nanyuki cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nanyuki

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

07:09 7:09 AM

9 h behind Nanyuki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,000

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 18, 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 18, 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

Nanyuki Nosara 13,580 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nanyuki
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

Nanyuki vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanyuki wins on cost – living expenses run 204% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nanyuki the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 642% 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: $78.2 in Nanyuki versus $788 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $606 per month in Nanyuki versus $1,839 in Nosara – a 204% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $606 in Nanyuki versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nanyuki but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Nanyuki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nanyuki delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $606 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nanyuki hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nanyuki 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 Nanyuki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 204% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.