Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,387 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Almaty

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 Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Almaty $2,883

Nosara costs about 32% more than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Almaty sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Almaty by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$13.31 ₸5,991

-8.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$43.37 ₸19.5K

38.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$8.80 ₸3,959

-14.32%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$3.30 ₸1,486

30.61%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.37 ₸616

25.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.90 ₸406

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$3.13 ₸1,409

3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$4.10 ₸1,847

9.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$1.66 ₸749

-5.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.90 ₸403

252.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$2.06 ₸927

17.48%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$2.37 ₸1,067

50.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$12.64 ₸5,689

-41.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$6.62 ₸2,978

57.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$10.87 ₸4,893

25.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$1.86 ₸839

24.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$2.37 ₸1,067

-32.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$2.99 ₸1,348

58.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$2.83 ₸1,273

-41.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.77 ₸345

383.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.58 ₸262

515.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$1.59 ₸718

-30.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.99 ₸446

157.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.54 ₸1,145

94.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$11.04 ₸4,969

81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$1.21 ₸546

130.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.41 ₸1,085

46.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.25 ₸113

376.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$21.84 ₸9,831

229.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$1.28 ₸577

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.64 ₸289

142.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$10.74 ₸4,836

-17.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.69 ₸312

127.54%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$22.3K ₸10.0M

-2.12%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$29.3K ₸13.2M

18.06%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$87.8 ₸39.5K

6.48%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$10.83 ₸4,874

224.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$17.40 ₸7,831

195.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$69.7 ₸31.4K

2.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$26.58 ₸12.0K

33.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$6.68 ₸3,009

17.37%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$446 ₸200.8K

9.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$93.7 ₸42.2K

-42.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$46.91 ₸21.1K

18.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$143 ₸64.3K

-44.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$133 ₸60.1K

-40.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$773 ₸348.1K

1.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$497 ₸223.9K

56.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$1,390 ₸625.9K

177.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$880 ₸396.0K

59.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$2,546 ₸1.1M

173.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$1,506 ₸678.2K

-20.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$834 ₸375.2K

5.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

20.65

-58.26%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 36.2% $283

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 28.1% $98

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Almaty

$205 15% 1.9% $4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 35.6% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 55.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 4.6% $4

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Almaty

$27 2% 68.5% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Nosara versus $773 in Almaty. 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 5% 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 $60.0 in Nosara versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $251 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

09:03 9:03 AM

12 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Almaty 13,840 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Almaty

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 Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Almaty, 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 $60.0 in Nosara and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 32%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almaty – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Almaty. 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.