Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kalispell, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,844 a month against $2,786 in Kalispell, MT, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Kalispell, MT
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Kalispell, MT Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,844

/mo nomad

Kalispell, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,786

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kalispell, MT

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,844 in Nosara versus $2,786 in Kalispell, MT.

Nosara $1,844
Kalispell, MT $2,786

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,817 in Nosara versus $4,415 in Kalispell, MT.

Nosara $2,817
Kalispell, MT $4,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,790 in Nosara versus $6,045 in Kalispell, MT.

Nosara $3,790
Kalispell, MT $6,045

Living in Nosara costs roughly 34% less than in Kalispell, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nosara 36% above, Kalispell, MT 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.38 ₡5,568

$30.24 $30.24

-59.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₡27.2K

$79.8 $79.8

-24.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$13.62 $13.62

-42.66%

Cappuccino

$4.37 ₡1,966

$6.86 $6.86

-36.30%

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

$1.78 ₡800

$3.25 $3.25

-45.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₡605

$2.56 $2.56

-47.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ₡1,526

$5.84 $5.84

-41.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 ₡1,939

$5.65 $5.65

-23.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡699

$1.19 $1.19

30.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₡1,425

$4.74 $4.74

-33.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,130

$6.03 $6.03

-58.37%

Eggs

$3.53 ₡1,585

$5.43 $5.43

-34.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 ₡3,313

$15.57 $15.57

-52.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 ₡4,703

$10.72 $10.72

-2.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,255

$15.25 $15.25

-8.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₡1,018

$5.86 $5.86

-61.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡701

$2.84 $2.84

-45.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.70 ₡2,113

$4.21 $4.21

11.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₡729

$6.52 $6.52

-75.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,746

$3.31 $3.31

17.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,704

$1.92 $1.92

97.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡481

$1.57 $1.57

-31.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₡1,174

$3.40 $3.40

-23.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 ₡2,319

$13.17 $13.17

-60.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 ₡9,143

$15.10 $15.10

34.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₡1,310

$3.67 $3.67

-20.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₡1,651

$3.57 $3.57

2.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ₡588

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₡984

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 ₡829

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 ₡3,513

$24.65 $24.65

-68.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.02 $1.02

52.94%

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

$33.4K ₡15.0M

$30.3K $30.3K

10.11%

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

$38.1K ₡17.1M

$28.0K $28.0K

36.18%

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

$95.9 ₡43.1K

$316 $316

-69.66%

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

$35.37 ₡15.9K

$66.4 $66.4

-46.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 ₡24.1K

$83.7 $83.7

-35.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.5 ₡30.3K

$93.2 $93.2

-27.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.43 ₡15.9K

$14.77 $14.77

139.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 ₡3,473

$15.03 $15.03

-48.64%

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

$496 ₡222.8K

$1,153 $1,153

-57.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 ₡24.6K

$62.7 $62.7

-12.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$56.5 $56.5

-2.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 ₡35.9K

$103 $103

-22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡35.0K

$97.4 $97.4

-20.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ₡367.5K

$1,388 $1,388

-41.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 ₡359.7K

$1,160 $1,160

-31.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,889 ₡1.7M

$2,451 $2,451

58.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 ₡627.6K

$2,605 $2,605

-46.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 ₡3.1M

$4,609 $4,609

51.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ₡549.6K

$4,590 $4,590

-73.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$879 ₡395.3K

$3,278 $3,278

-73.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.87

25.47%

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

Last update for Nosara: November 3, 2026

Last update for Kalispell, MT: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$800 43.4%

Kalispell, MT

$1.2K 41.7% 45% $360

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$353 19.1%

Kalispell, MT

$464 16.6% 31.5% $111

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Kalispell, MT

$429 15.4% 101% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$185 10%

Kalispell, MT

$466 16.7% 152% $281

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kalispell, MT

$144 5.2% 19.4% $23

Getting Around

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Kalispell, MT

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$83 4.5%

Kalispell, MT

$123 4.4% 48.7% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $817 in Nosara and $1,388 in Kalispell, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kalispell, MT pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Nosara vs $80 in Kalispell, MT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $464 per month, with Nosara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇺🇸 Kalispell, MT

🕒 Local time

20:46 8:46 PM

19:46 7:46 PM

1 h behind Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

22,052

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Kalispell, MT 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kalispell, MT

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 Kalispell, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Nosara. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $817 in Nosara versus $1,388 in Kalispell, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $496 in Nosara versus $1,153 in Kalispell, MT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $61 versus $80 in Kalispell, MT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Nosara wins on affordability, Kalispell, MT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.