Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,201 in Kaka, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. The total is higher in Kaka despite lower rent and utilities.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Kaka
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Kaka Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Kaka

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$2,201

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kaka

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

A single person spends $1,837 per month in Nosara vs $2,201 in Kaka, rent included.

Nosara $1,837
Kaka $2,201

A couple spends around $2,775 per month in Nosara vs $3,296 in Kaka, rent included.

Nosara $2,775
Kaka $3,296

A family of three spends $3,712 per month in Nosara vs $4,391 in Kaka, rent included.

Nosara $3,712
Kaka $4,391

Nosara is about 17% cheaper than Kaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nosara and Kaka sit above the global median – Nosara by 37%, Kaka by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 ₡5,509

$31.81 TMT 107

-61.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.1K

$85.5 TMT 286

-29.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₡3,399

$12.84 TMT 43.00

-41.28%

Cappuccino

$4.31 ₡1,941

$6.59 TMT 22.07

-34.60%

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

$1.72 ₡773

$1.58 TMT 5.30

8.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡608

$0.83 TMT 2.78

62.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,459

$5.61 TMT 18.79

-42.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ₡2,018

$13.77 TMT 46.14

-67.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡707

$4.54 TMT 15.20

-65.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,429

$2.05 TMT 6.86

54.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,091

$6.01 TMT 20.14

-59.73%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,609

$5.90 TMT 19.76

-39.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,349

$37.81 TMT 127

-80.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₡4,697

$20.30 TMT 68.0

-48.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 ₡6,156

$22.71 TMT 76.1

-39.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 ₡1,044

$4.93 TMT 16.51

-52.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡728

$8.31 TMT 27.85

-80.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,138

$7.44 TMT 24.93

-36.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ₡747

$3.79 TMT 12.69

-56.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 ₡1,679

$2.32 TMT 7.78

60.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 ₡1,611

$1.44 TMT 4.81

147.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₡497

$2.63 TMT 8.81

-58.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₡1,149

$1.11 TMT 3.73

129.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₡2,232

$26.04 TMT 87.3

-80.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 ₡9,020

$41.38 TMT 139

-51.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₡1,256

$5.06 TMT 16.95

-44.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₡1,589

$2.82 TMT 9.46

25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₡537

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 ₡32.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 ₡1,011

$2.79 TMT 9.34

-19.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡701

$0.89 TMT 2.97

74.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₡3,993

$8.71 TMT 29.19

1.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 ₡708

$0.41 TMT 1.39

282.93%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$43.3K TMT 145.1K

-49.67%

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

$34.6K ₡15.6M

$56.1K TMT 188.0K

-38.28%

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

$93.5 ₡42.1K

$561 TMT 1,881

-83.35%

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

$35.11 ₡15.8K

$56.9 TMT 191

-38.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 ₡23.2K

$102 TMT 343

-49.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 ₡32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 ₡3,535

$8.35 TMT 27.97

-6.11%

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

$490 ₡220.7K

$22.89 TMT 76.7

2038.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.4M

$24.5K TMT 82.0K

-51.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ₡24.1K

$54.7 TMT 183

-2.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 ₡25.1K

$114 TMT 383

-51.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₡35.7K

$357 TMT 1,197

-77.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 ₡35.6K

$190 TMT 636

-58.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 ₡354.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₡351.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,860 ₡1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 ₡634.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,972 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,201 ₡541.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 ₡395.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.5

-9.26%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kaka: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$780 43%

Kaka

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.3%

Kaka

$667 30.7% 90.9% $318

Eating Out

Nosara

$209 11.6%

Kaka

$437 20.1% 109% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$180 9.9%

Kaka

$721 33.2% 300% $541

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.6%

Kaka

$322 14.8% 168% $202

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kaka

$17 * 0.8% 80.8% $70

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kaka

$7.2 * 0.3% 91.7% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Nosara versus $85.0 in Kaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $667 – making Nosara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇲 Kaka

🕒 Local time

23:25 11:25 PM

10:25 10:25 AM

11 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

33,315

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.266 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, 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).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.76 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nosara Kaka 13,630 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kaka

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 Kaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaka costs about 20% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,756 per month in Nosara and $3,301 in Kaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,837 in Nosara and $2,201 in Kaka. That's a gap of about 20%.

Kindergarten costs $490 per month in Nosara and $22.89 in Kaka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,837, than in Kaka at $2,201. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,837 versus $2,201 in Kaka. 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 Nosara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kaka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.