Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Aktau

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $793 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Aktau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Aktau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $793 in Aktau, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Aktau $793

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,317 in Aktau, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Aktau $1,317

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,842 in Aktau, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Aktau $1,842

Nosara costs about 132% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Aktau is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.07 ₸5,005

11.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$43.55 ₸19.7K

40.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$10.17 ₸4,596

-26.06%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$2.49 ₸1,128

77.11%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.74 ₸333

135.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.48 ₸219

172.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.30 ₸586

152.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$1.53 ₸690

192.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.41 ₸638

10.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.47 ₸211

542.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.91 ₸864

31.41%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.73 ₸783

106.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$9.87 ₸4,463

-24.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$4.24 ₸1,915

148.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$8.95 ₸4,044

56.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.53 ₸689

53.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$2.24 ₸1,013

-28.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$2.35 ₸1,064

104.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$2.80 ₸1,264

-42.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.65 ₸295

484.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.56 ₸254

558.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$1.55 ₸700

-27.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.94 ₸424

182.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.59 ₸1,172

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.54 ₸4,313

108.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$0.72 ₸326

302.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$0.87 ₸393

317.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.18 ₸82.6

522.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.13 ₸512

89.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.64 ₸290

145.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.63 ₸283

141.27%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$31.4K ₸14.2M

9.83%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$45.69 ₸20.7K

110.75%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$7.94 ₸3,587

352.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$11.01 ₸4,979

386.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$35.98 ₸16.3K

98.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.18 ₸1,437

148.11%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$143 ₸64.8K

244.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,621 ₸1.2M

352.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$66.8 ₸30.2K

-19.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$40.67 ₸18.4K

36.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$71.7 ₸32.4K

8.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$89.6 ₸40.5K

-11.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$330 ₸149.2K

138.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$196 ₸88.6K

305.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$551 ₸249.0K

615.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$393 ₸177.8K

260.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$813 ₸367.6K

749.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$659 ₸297.7K

85.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$564 ₸254.8K

53.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-38.43%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Aktau

$196 24.7% 75.3% $598

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Aktau

$200 25.3% 43.1% $152

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Aktau

$163 20.6% 22.9% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Aktau

$65 8.2% 65.2% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Aktau

$121 15.3% 0.7% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Aktau

$42 5.3% 51.5% $45

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6% 94.2% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $330 in Aktau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $44.00 in Aktau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $200 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

20:12 8:12 PM

11 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

273,830

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Aktau 12,630 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Aktau

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

Nosara vs Aktau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 132% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,189 in Aktau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, 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 $61.0 in Nosara and $44.00 in Aktau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aktau, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Aktau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aktau costs $793 versus $1,839 in Nosara. 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 Aktau. 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.