Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Garissa

For one person, living is cheaper in Garissa: $381 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Garissa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Garissa

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $381 in Garissa, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Garissa $381

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $667 in Garissa, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Garissa $667

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $952 in Garissa, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Garissa $952

Nosara costs about 383% more than Garissa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Garissa is 72% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$11.79 KES 1,528

4.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$23.02 KES 2,984

165.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$7.73 KES 1,002

-42.95%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$1.88 KES 244

-7.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$1.13 KES 147

15.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.52 KES 66.9

200.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.59 KES 76.9

411.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.47 KES 191

70.75%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.92 KES 249

85.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$6.10 KES 791

72.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$5.39 KES 698

159.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$3.78 KES 490

-37.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$3.11 KES 403

-48.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$4.69 KES 608

2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.79 KES 102

103.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.22 KES 158

211.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.57 KES 204

135.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$2.37 KES 307

-52.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.56 KES 72.3

375.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$5.71 KES 741

248.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.67 KES 217

73.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$3.82 KES 496

-4.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

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

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

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

$494 ₡221.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$129 KES 16.8K

568.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Garissa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Garissa

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Garissa

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Garissa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Garissa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Garissa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Garissa

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Garissa

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 568% 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 $23.00 in Garissa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $182 – making Garissa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇪 Garissa

🕒 Local time

09:38 9:38 AM

18:38 6:38 PM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

119,696

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Garissa 13,870 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Garissa

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 Garissa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $381 in Garissa – roughly 383% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $572 in Garissa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $23.00 in Garissa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,839 in Nosara and $381 in Garissa. That's a gap of about 383%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Garissa, where all-in costs run around $381, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Garissa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $381 in Garissa to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Garissa. 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.