Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nicholasville, KY and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,835 a month against $2,472 in Nicholasville, KY, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Nicholasville, KY
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Nicholasville, KY Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nicholasville, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,472

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,472 per month in Nicholasville, KY vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Nicholasville, KY $2,472
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $3,559 per month in Nicholasville, KY vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Nicholasville, KY $3,559
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $4,646 per month in Nicholasville, KY vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Nicholasville, KY $4,646
Nosara $3,814

Nicholasville, KY costs about 35% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nicholasville, KY and Nosara sit above the global median – Nicholasville, KY by 82%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 $14.04

$12.34 ₡5,535

13.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 $56.9

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-7.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 $8.96

$7.76 ₡3,481

15.46%

Cappuccino

$4.90 $4.90

$4.44 ₡1,992

10.36%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$1.79 ₡803

36.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.29 ₡580

43.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.24 ₡1,451

54.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 $5.92

$4.43 ₡1,985

33.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.55 ₡696

-51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.08 ₡1,380

-8.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.53 ₡1,133

49.01%

Eggs

$3.49 $3.49

$3.45 ₡1,546

1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.41 $10.41

$7.32 ₡3,284

42.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 $10.40

$10.24 ₡4,594

1.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$14.10 ₡6,326

2.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$2.29 ₡1,027

152.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.64 ₡737

14.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.14 $7.14

$4.79 ₡2,149

49.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$1.64 ₡735

173.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.85 ₡1,727

-19.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.75 ₡1,681

-15.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.09 ₡488

93.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.59 ₡1,160

8.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.18 $9.18

$5.12 ₡2,295

79.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 $15.72

$19.92 ₡8,931

-21.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.80 ₡1,255

-38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.52 ₡1,580

73.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.22 ₡549

43.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.17 ₡973

128.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.56 ₡698

10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.71 $26.71

$8.67 ₡3,886

208.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.55 ₡697

-40.00%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.70%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-33.27%

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

$187 $187

$94.8 ₡42.5K

97.60%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$36.15 ₡16.2K

41.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.4 $75.4

$53.1 ₡23.8K

42.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.49 $41.49

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-43.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 $14.39

$7.91 ₡3,548

81.92%

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

$531 $531

$490 ₡219.9K

8.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,531 $6,531

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-45.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.25 $40.25

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-26.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.12 $48.12

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-13.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 $70.4

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-12.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$77.9 ₡34.9K

58.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$801 ₡359.1K

98.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 $1,296

$790 ₡354.1K

64.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 $2,513

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-37.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 $2,130

$1,409 ₡632.0K

51.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,848 $2,848

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-59.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,178 $2,178

$1,236 ₡554.3K

76.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

8.62

-21.81%

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

Last update for Nicholasville, KY: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nicholasville, KY

$1.3K 52.4%

Nosara

$790 43% 39.1% $507

Groceries & Markets

Nicholasville, KY

$392 15.9%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 10.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nicholasville, KY

$314 12.7%

Nosara

$184 10% 41.3% $130

Eating Out

Nicholasville, KY

$252 10.2%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 15.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Nicholasville, KY

$127 5.1%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 4.6% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nicholasville, KY

$70 2.8%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 27.5% $19

Getting Around

Nicholasville, KY

$21 * 0.8%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 331% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Nicholasville, KY versus $801 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 $57.0 in Nicholasville, KY versus $61.0 in Nosara. Groceries tell a different story – $392 in Nicholasville, KY vs $350 in Nosara – so Nosara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Nicholasville, KY

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

02:06 2:06 AM

2 h behind Nicholasville, KY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,791

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nicholasville, KY Nosara 3,100 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nicholasville, KY
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

Nicholasville, KY vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nicholasville, KY costs about 35% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,708 per month in Nicholasville, KY and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nosara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,472 in Nicholasville, KY and $1,835 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 35%.

Kindergarten costs $531 per month in Nicholasville, KY and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,835, than in Nicholasville, KY at $2,472. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nicholasville, KY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,835 versus $2,472 in Nicholasville, KY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nicholasville, KY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.