Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Hays, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Hays, KS: $1,737 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Hays, KS
Learn more

Hays, KS Living Index

Jump to prices

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Hays, 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 Hays, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $1,737 in Hays, KS, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Hays, KS $1,737

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $2,467 in Hays, KS, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Hays, KS $2,467

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $3,198 in Hays, KS, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Hays, KS $3,198

Nosara costs about 6% more than Hays, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nosara and Hays, KS sit above the global median – Nosara by 35%, Hays, KS by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$13.33 $13.33

-7.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$43.87 $43.87

39.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$8.11 $8.11

-4.32%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.98 $3.98

11.56%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$2.39 $2.39

-25.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.02 $1.02

26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.85 $3.85

-15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$4.33 $4.33

2.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.76 $0.76

103.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$2.26 $2.26

36.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$4.46 $4.46

-43.27%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$2.06 $2.06

67.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$4.46 $4.46

64.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$8.93 $8.93

14.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$13.33 $13.33

5.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$6.04 $6.04

-62.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.64 $1.64

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$5.06 $5.06

-5.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$4.42 $4.42

-62.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$2.93 $2.93

31.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$2.17 $2.17

72.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.97 $1.97

-44.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$2.03 $2.03

27.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$9.68 $9.68

-47.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$12.15 $12.15

63.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$2.23 $2.23

25.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$3.85 $3.85

-8.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$2.01 $2.01

-39.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.43 $2.43

-10.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.57 $1.57

-0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$39.71 $39.71

-78.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$0.92 $0.92

68.48%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$28.1K $28.1K

23.06%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$26.0K $26.0K

49.31%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$269 $269

-64.71%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$34.85 $34.85

3.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$68.8 $68.8

-22.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$45.17 $45.17

63.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$15.21 $15.21

-47.99%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$922 $922

-46.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$15.7K $15.7K

-24.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$23.68 $23.68

131.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$31.82 $31.82

75.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$110 $110

-26.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$138 $138

-43.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$793 $793

0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$589 $589

34.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$1,034 $1,034

287.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$895 $895

57.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$2,386 $2,386

196.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$2,615 $2,615

-52.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

$2,386 $2,386

-62.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.65

29.62%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Hays, KS: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Hays, KS

$589 33.9% 25.4% $201

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Hays, KS

$325 18.7% 7% $24

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Hays, KS

$220 12.7% 3.5% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Hays, KS

$372 21.4% 102% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Hays, KS

$136 7.9% 12.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Hays, KS

$76 4.4% 15.7% $14

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Hays, KS

$18 * 1.1% 79.4% $70

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 $793 in Hays, 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 169% higher in Hays, 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 $44.00 in Hays, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $325 – making Hays, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

03:05 3:05 AM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

19,726

💱 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 Hays, KS 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Hays, 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 Hays, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $2,605 in Hays, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hays, 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 $44.00 in Hays, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Hays, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,737, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Hays, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hays, KS – 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 Hays, 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.