Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Darkhan

For one person, living is cheaper in Darkhan: $655 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Darkhan
🇲🇳 Mongolia
$655
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Darkhan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $655 in Darkhan.

  • Nosara $1,837
  • Darkhan $655

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $1,075 in Darkhan.

  • Nosara $2,775
  • Darkhan $1,075

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $1,496 in Darkhan.

  • Nosara $3,712
  • Darkhan $1,496

Living in Nosara is roughly 180% more expensive than in Darkhan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Darkhan is 51% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nosara
Darkhan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.22 ₡5,509
$5.46 MNT 19.6K
123.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.2 ₡27.1K
$31.74 MNT 114.0K
89.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.54 ₡3,399
$5.62 MNT 20.2K
34.16%
Cappuccino
$4.31 ₡1,941
$2.39 MNT 8,575
80.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₡773
$0.87 MNT 3,140
97.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₡608
$0.57 MNT 2,065
136.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 ₡1,459
$2.35 MNT 8,427
37.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.48 ₡2,018
$3.41 MNT 12.3K
31.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nosara
Darkhan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡707
$1.44 MNT 5,184
9.03%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 ₡1,429
$1.02 MNT 3,653
210.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 ₡1,091
$2.06 MNT 7,389
17.48%
Eggs
$3.57 ₡1,609
$2.16 MNT 7,750
65.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.43 ₡3,349
$12.46 MNT 44.8K
-40.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.42 ₡4,697
$4.87 MNT 17.5K
113.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.66 ₡6,156
$7.44 MNT 26.7K
83.60%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 ₡1,044
$3.21 MNT 11.5K
-27.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 ₡728
$2.39 MNT 8,592
-32.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.74 ₡2,138
$3.84 MNT 13.8K
23.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 ₡747
$3.07 MNT 11.0K
-45.93%
Potato (1kg)
$3.72 ₡1,679
$0.71 MNT 2,567
423.94%
Onion (1kg)
$3.57 ₡1,611
$1.05 MNT 3,772
240.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.10 ₡497
$1.71 MNT 6,146
-35.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 ₡1,149
$0.73 MNT 2,626
249.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.95 ₡2,232
$1.67 MNT 5,985
196.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.01 ₡9,020
$10.29 MNT 37.0K
94.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.79 ₡1,256
$1.43 MNT 5,126
95.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 ₡1,589
$1.80 MNT 6,455
96.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Nosara
Darkhan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.19 ₡537
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 ₡1,011
$0.55 MNT 1,967
307.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 ₡701
$0.54 MNT 1,950
187.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.86 ₡3,993
$6.48 MNT 23.3K
36.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.57 ₡708
$1.07 MNT 3,852
46.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ₡9.8M
$27.3K MNT 98.2M
-20.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.6K ₡15.6M
$35.4K MNT 127.4M
-2.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
Darkhan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$93.5 ₡42.1K
$70.6 MNT 253.8K
32.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.11 ₡15.8K
$7.68 MNT 27.6K
357.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.5 ₡23.2K
$13.82 MNT 49.7K
272.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
Darkhan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.84 ₡3,535
$4.24 MNT 15.2K
84.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nosara
Darkhan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$490 ₡220.7K
$831 MNT 3.0M
-41.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₡5.4M
$8,568 MNT 30.8M
38.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
Darkhan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ₡24.1K
$83.5 MNT 299.8K
-35.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.8 ₡25.1K
$45.49 MNT 163.5K
22.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.3 ₡35.7K
$103 MNT 371.8K
-23.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.9 ₡35.6K
$185 MNT 665.6K
-57.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nosara
Darkhan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$786 ₡354.3K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$780 ₡351.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,201 ₡541.3K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nosara
Darkhan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$876 ₡395.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.62
10.32
-16.47%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Darkhan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nosara
$780
Darkhan
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Nosara
$350
Darkhan
$238 32% $112
Eating Out
Nosara
$209
Darkhan
$114 45.8% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nosara
$180
Darkhan
$92 48.8% $88
Clothing & Footwear
Nosara
$120
Darkhan
$188 56.2% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Nosara
$87
Darkhan
$8.5 * 90.3% $79
Getting Around
Nosara
$87
Darkhan
$3.3 * 96.2% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $32.00 in Darkhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $238 per month, with Darkhan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇷 Nosara
🇲🇳 Darkhan
🕒 Local time
02:20 2:20 AM
16:20 4:20 PM
14 h ahead of Nosara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,912
74,738
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nosara Darkhan 13,310 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nosara
  • Darkhan

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 Darkhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nosara or Darkhan?
Darkhan wins on cost – living expenses run 180% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Darkhan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Nosara and in Darkhan?
You'd need roughly $2,756 in Nosara and $983 in Darkhan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do childcare costs compare in Nosara and in Darkhan?
Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $831 in Darkhan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Nosara and in Darkhan?
Dining out is cheaper in Darkhan – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $60.0 in Nosara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Nosara or in Darkhan?
At $655 in Darkhan versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Darkhan but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Darkhan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nosara or Darkhan?
Both work as nomad bases, but Darkhan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $655 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Darkhan hard to pass up.
How safe is Nosara compared to Darkhan?
Safety-wise, Nosara and Darkhan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Darkhan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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