Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Ashgabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $3,331 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,331

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Ashgabat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $3,331 in Ashgabat.

Nosara $1,837
Ashgabat $3,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $5,094 in Ashgabat.

Nosara $2,775
Ashgabat $5,094

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $6,857 in Ashgabat.

Nosara $3,712
Ashgabat $6,857

Living in Nosara costs roughly 45% less than in Ashgabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 37% above, Ashgabat 149% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$31.23 TMT 105

-60.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$85.1 TMT 285

-29.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$12.65 TMT 42.39

-40.40%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$6.59 TMT 22.07

-34.60%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.53 TMT 5.14

12.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.82 TMT 2.74

64.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$5.67 TMT 18.98

-42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$13.74 TMT 46.04

-67.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$4.48 TMT 15.00

-64.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.05 TMT 6.88

54.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$5.82 TMT 19.48

-58.42%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$5.93 TMT 19.87

-39.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$37.90 TMT 127

-80.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$20.09 TMT 67.3

-48.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$23.50 TMT 78.7

-41.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.98 TMT 16.70

-53.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$8.53 TMT 28.58

-81.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$7.32 TMT 24.52

-35.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.61 TMT 12.09

-54.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.33 TMT 7.80

59.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.46 TMT 4.90

144.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.69 TMT 9.00

-59.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.12 TMT 3.74

127.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$25.56 TMT 85.6

-80.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$42.09 TMT 141

-52.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$5.26 TMT 17.62

-46.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.89 TMT 9.67

22.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.15 TMT 0.49

693.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$9.89 TMT 33.13

628.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.90 TMT 9.73

-22.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.88 TMT 2.96

76.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$8.41 TMT 28.17

5.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.44 TMT 1.48

256.82%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$44.6K TMT 149.3K

-51.07%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$57.2K TMT 191.5K

-39.40%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$580 TMT 1,944

-83.90%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$56.8 TMT 190

-38.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$103 TMT 347

-50.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$191 TMT 640

-62.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$45.50 TMT 152

-22.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.53 TMT 28.58

-8.09%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$23.05 TMT 77.2

2023.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$24.8K TMT 83.0K

-52.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$54.8 TMT 184

-2.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$115 TMT 385

-51.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$365 TMT 1,224

-78.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$189 TMT 632

-58.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$1,402 TMT 4,695

-43.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$1,000 TMT 3,351

-22.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$2,288 TMT 7,663

68.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$1,920 TMT 6,433

-26.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$3,527 TMT 11.8K

97.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$2,813 TMT 9,422

-57.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$736 TMT 2,467

18.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.5

-9.26%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Ashgabat

$1K 29.5% 28.3% $220

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Ashgabat

$671 19.8% 91.9% $321

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Ashgabat

$432 12.7% 106% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Ashgabat

$741 21.8% 311% $561

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Ashgabat

$326 9.6% 171% $205

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ashgabat

$208 6.1% 139% $121

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Ashgabat

$18 0.5% 79.5% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $1,402 in Ashgabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $85.0 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $671 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

11:25 11:25 AM

11 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

909,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.266 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, 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).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.76 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Ashgabat 13,510 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Ashgabat

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 Ashgabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Ashgabat differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $3,331 including rent). Nosara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Nosara, 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: $786 in Nosara versus $1,402 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $23.05 in Ashgabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $3,331 in Ashgabat, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. 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, Nosara and Ashgabat 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 81% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.