Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kabul

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabul: $511 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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 Kabul
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Kabul Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Kabul

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kabul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,837 in Nosara versus $511 in Kabul.

Nosara $1,837
Kabul $511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Nosara versus $684 in Kabul.

Nosara $2,775
Kabul $684

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,712 in Nosara versus $857 in Kabul.

Nosara $3,712
Kabul $857

Living in Nosara is roughly 259% more expensive than in Kabul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 37% above, Kabul is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$2.70 ؋175

352.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$7.89 ؋511

662.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$4.51 ؋292

67.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 ؋148

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ؋122

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$1.09 ؋70.5

295.41%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$0.45 ؋28.95

282.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.17 ؋10.83

694.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$0.81 ؋52.4

93.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$0.25 ؋16.23

1168.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$1.86 ؋121

30.11%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$1.54 ؋99.7

131.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$4.46 ؋289

66.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$4.03 ؋261

158.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$6.71 ؋434

103.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$0.70 ؋45.11

231.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$0.89 ؋57.4

80.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$0.95 ؋61.5

398.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$0.55 ؋35.47

201.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$0.61 ؋39.34

509.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$0.51 ؋32.74

600.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$0.30 ؋19.48

266.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$0.37 ؋23.89

589.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 ؋117

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ؋52.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ؋65.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$2.42 ؋157

104.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

$0.13 ؋8.60

815.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

$21.08 ؋1,366

241.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.12 ؋138

5.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.45 ؋29.02

244.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$2.77 ؋179

219.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$1.08 ؋69.9

45.37%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$8,341 ؋540.2K

161.39%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$33.8K ؋2.2M

2.57%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$42.09 ؋2,726

122.02%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$13.12 ؋850

167.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$95.3 ؋6,174

-45.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

$11.15 ؋722

540.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

$4.11 ؋266

762.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$2.34 ؋152

235.04%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$20.64 ؋1,337

2271.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$1,045 ؋67.7K

1036.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$10.71 ؋694

399.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$15.93 ؋1,032

250.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$57.8 ؋3,741

37.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$25.51 ؋1,652

209.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

$125 ؋8,092

529.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

$109 ؋7,043

617.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

$219 ؋14.2K

1664.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

$115 ؋7,463

1121.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

$675 ؋43.7K

932.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

$363 ؋23.5K

230.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

$339 ؋21.9K

158.59%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Kabul: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Kabul

$109 21.6% 86.1% $671

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Kabul

$102 20.2% 70.9% $248

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Kabul

$51 10.1% 75.8% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Kabul

$151 29.9% 16.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Kabul

$49 9.8% 58.9% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kabul

$16 3.2% 81.8% $71

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kabul

$26 5.2% 70.1% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $786 in Nosara and $125 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nosara pays 159% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in Nosara vs $8.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $102 per month, with Kabul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇦🇫 Kabul

🕒 Local time

20:48 8:48 PM

07:18 7:18 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,289,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.64 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Kabul 14,400 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kabul

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 Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara and Kabul differ by about 259% in total monthly costs ($1,837 vs $511 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 159% higher in Nosara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $786 in Nosara versus $125 in Kabul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kabul runs roughly 242% less than in Nosara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $490 in Nosara versus $20.64 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $511 in Kabul versus $1,837 in Nosara, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kabul but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kabul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Kabul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kabul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 259% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.