Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Emporia, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Emporia, KS: $1,558 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Emporia, KS
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Emporia, KS Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Emporia, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,558

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Emporia, KS

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,558 in Emporia, KS, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Emporia, KS $1,558

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,497 in Emporia, KS, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Emporia, KS $2,497

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,435 in Emporia, KS, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Emporia, KS $3,435

Nosara costs about 18% more than Emporia, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Emporia, KS sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Emporia, KS by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$15.83 $15.83

-22.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$75.6 $75.6

-18.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$11.90 $11.90

-34.79%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$4.45 $4.45

-0.22%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.33 $2.33

-23.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.69 $1.69

-23.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$5.05 $5.05

-35.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$6.06 $6.06

-26.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.88 $0.88

76.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$3.30 $3.30

-6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$1.92 $1.92

31.77%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.85 $2.85

21.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$8.30 $8.30

-11.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$8.45 $8.45

21.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$14.40 $14.40

-2.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$4.99 $4.99

-54.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.20 $1.20

36.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$2.84 $2.84

68.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$2.79 $2.79

-41.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$1.64 $1.64

134.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.76 $2.76

35.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.88 $1.88

-42.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.32 $2.32

11.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$9.13 $9.13

-43.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$9.49 $9.49

109.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.84 $1.84

52.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.57 $2.57

36.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$4.91 $4.91

-55.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.82 $1.82

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$34.41 $34.41

-74.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.89 $0.89

74.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.5K $27.5K

25.40%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$25.8K $25.8K

50.12%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$144 $144

-34.32%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$46.93 $46.93

-22.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$49.14 $49.14

7.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$44.39 $44.39

66.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$12.43 $12.43

-36.36%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$824 $824

-40.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$48.75 $48.75

12.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$25.34 $25.34

120.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$89.5 $89.5

-10.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$83.4 $83.4

-6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$685 $685

16.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$546 $546

44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,752 $1,752

128.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$1,108 $1,108

27.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,251 $1,251

464.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,246 $1,246

-0.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$5,551 $5,551

-84.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.37

35.32%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Emporia, KS: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Emporia, KS

$546 35% 30.9% $244

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Emporia, KS

$308 19.8% 11.9% $42

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Emporia, KS

$269 17.3% 26.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Emporia, KS

$240 15.4% 30.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Emporia, KS

$111 7.1% 8.2% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Emporia, KS

$69 4.5% 22.7% $20

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Emporia, KS

$14 * 0.9% 84.2% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $801 in Nosara versus $685 in Emporia, KS. 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 526% higher in Emporia, KS, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $76.0 in Emporia, KS. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Nosara vs $308 in Emporia, KS – so Emporia, KS wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Emporia, KS

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

05:58 5:58 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

26,188

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Emporia, KS 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Emporia, KS

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 Emporia, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara costs about 18% more than Emporia, KS, 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 $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,337 in Emporia, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Emporia, KS, 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 $76.0 in Emporia, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% 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 Emporia, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,558, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Emporia, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Emporia, KS costs $1,558 versus $1,835 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 Emporia, KS. 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.