Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Jalalabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Jalalabad: $501 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Jalalabad
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Jalalabad Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Jalalabad

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Jalalabad

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $501 in Jalalabad, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Jalalabad $501

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $684 in Jalalabad, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Jalalabad $684

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $868 in Jalalabad, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Jalalabad $868

Nosara costs about 267% more than Jalalabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Jalalabad is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.26 ؋146

446.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$7.56 ؋490

709.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$3.80 ؋246

97.89%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$0.75 ؋48.49

488.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

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

$0.88 ؋56.9

77.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.37 ؋23.66

716.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.89 ؋122

32.80%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.69 ؋110

111.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$5.53 ؋359

34.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$2.70 ؋175

289.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$6.20 ؋402

125.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$0.61 ؋39.26

285.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$0.65 ؋42.08

147.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.79 ؋51.1

507.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.48 ؋30.89

235.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.39 ؋25.38

874.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.30 ؋19.38

1130.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.32 ؋21.06

253.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.30 ؋19.42

786.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.90 ؋253

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ؋51.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 ؋71.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.33 ؋151

122.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.13 ؋8.72

761.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.98 ؋712

561.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.75 ؋48.74

185.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.44 ؋28.35

256.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$1.56 ؋101

446.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.11 ؋71.9

36.94%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$8,453 ؋548.0K

155.62%

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

$23.42 ؋1,518

311.14%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$233 ؋15.1K

-77.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$7.62 ؋494

839.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$4.76 ؋308

633.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$1.56 ؋101

405.77%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$15.22 ؋987

3146.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$1,222 ؋79.2K

870.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$18.51 ؋1,200

191.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$15.27 ؋990

262.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$23.21 ؋1,505

235.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$30.36 ؋1,968

162.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$114 ؋7,396

590.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$46.83 ؋3,036

1596.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$229 ؋14.9K

1617.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$123 ؋8,000

1050.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$468 ؋30.4K

1375.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$232 ؋15.1K

427.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

$183 ؋11.9K

371.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

13.88

-37.90%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jalalabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Jalalabad

$47 9.4% 94.1% $747

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Jalalabad

$95 18.9% 73.2% $258

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Jalalabad

$38 * 7.7% 81.9% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Jalalabad

$256 * 51.2% 38% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Jalalabad

$39 7.9% 67.3% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Jalalabad

$11 2.2% 87.7% $77

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Jalalabad

$14 2.9% 83.4% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $114 in Jalalabad. 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 372% 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 $8.00 in Jalalabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $95.0 – making Jalalabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇫 Jalalabad

🕒 Local time

22:52 10:52 PM

09:22 9:22 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

168,600

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 64.83 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.88 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Jalalabad 14,470 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Jalalabad

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 Jalalabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $501 in Jalalabad – roughly 267% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $751 in Jalalabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jalalabad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 273% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara and $8.00 in Jalalabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jalalabad, where all-in costs run around $501, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Jalalabad 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 $501 in Jalalabad 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 Jalalabad. 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.