Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kalkan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalkan: $880 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Kalkan
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Kalkan Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Kalkan

🇹🇷 Turkey

$880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kalkan

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

A single person spends $1,835 per month in Nosara vs $880 in Kalkan, rent included.

Nosara $1,835
Kalkan $880

A couple spends around $2,825 per month in Nosara vs $1,381 in Kalkan, rent included.

Nosara $2,825
Kalkan $1,381

A family of three spends $3,814 per month in Nosara vs $1,882 in Kalkan, rent included.

Nosara $3,814
Kalkan $1,882

Nosara costs about 108% more than Kalkan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 35% above the global median, while Kalkan is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.34 ₡5,535

$5.99 ₺296

106.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$23.83 ₺1,180

157.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ₡3,481

$8.14 ₺403

-4.67%

Cappuccino

$4.44 ₡1,992

$3.14 ₺156

41.40%

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

$1.79 ₡803

$1.21 ₺59.9

47.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₡580

$0.39 ₺19.12

230.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 ₡1,451

$3.09 ₺153

4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ₡1,985

$3.40 ₺168

30.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$1.01 ₺49.88

53.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₡1,380

$1.14 ₺56.3

170.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₡1,133

$2.28 ₺113

10.96%

Eggs

$3.45 ₡1,546

$1.94 ₺96.2

77.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 ₡3,284

$9.00 ₺446

-18.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 ₡4,594

$3.39 ₺168

202.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.10 ₡6,326

$20.78 ₺1,029

-32.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₡1,027

$1.82 ₺90.3

25.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.95 ₺96.7

-15.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 ₡2,149

$1.02 ₺50.6

369.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 ₡735

$1.09 ₺54.0

50.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,727

$0.61 ₺30.01

531.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,681

$0.44 ₺21.96

752.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.78 ₺38.51

39.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₡1,160

$0.74 ₺36.49

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₡2,295

$2.27 ₺112

125.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.92 ₡8,931

$8.03 ₺398

148.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,255

$1.92 ₺95.2

45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₡1,580

$2.68 ₺133

31.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₡549

$0.67 ₺32.96

82.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 ₡33.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.57 ₺78.0

38.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$0.83 ₺41.27

87.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 ₡3,886

$9.95 ₺493

-12.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡697

$1.29 ₺64.0

20.16%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$40.6K ₺2.0M

-14.97%

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

$38.7K ₡17.4M

$37.3K ₺1.8M

3.80%

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

$94.8 ₡42.5K

$41.67 ₺2,063

127.55%

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

$36.15 ₡16.2K

$8.22 ₺407

339.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ₡23.8K

$12.23 ₺606

333.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$52.3 ₺2,587

41.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.63 ₡16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 ₡3,548

$6.38 ₺316

23.98%

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

$490 ₡219.9K

$292 ₺14.5K

67.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,605 ₺327.0K

79.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ₡24.6K

$55.0 ₺2,725

-0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 ₡25.1K

$50.5 ₺2,499

10.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₡36.0K

$90.1 ₺4,459

-10.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$84.3 ₺4,174

-7.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ₡359.1K

$391 ₺19.3K

104.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₡354.1K

$260 ₺12.8K

204.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 ₡1.8M

$792 ₺39.2K

405.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 ₡632.0K

$480 ₺23.7K

193.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,064 ₡3.2M

$1,256 ₺62.2K

462.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 ₡554.3K

$1,150 ₺56.9K

7.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$887 ₡397.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

49.67

-82.65%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Kalkan: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$790 43%

Kalkan

$260 29.5% 67.1% $530

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$350 19.1%

Kalkan

$221 25.1% 36.9% $129

Eating Out

Nosara

$213 11.6%

Kalkan

$139 15.8% 34.8% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$184 10%

Kalkan

$62 7.1% 66.2% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$121 6.6%

Kalkan

$126 14.3% 4.1% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$90 4.9%

Kalkan

$65 7.4% 27.4% $25

Getting Around

Nosara

$89 4.8%

Kalkan

$8.4 * 1% 90.5% $80

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 $391 in Kalkan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $24.00 in Kalkan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $221 – making Kalkan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇹🇷 Kalkan

🕒 Local time

15:46 3:46 PM

00:46 12:46 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

3,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Kalkan 11,510 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kalkan

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 Kalkan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,835 in Nosara, $880 in Kalkan – roughly 108% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,753 per month in Nosara and $1,321 in Kalkan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalkan, 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 $24.00 in Kalkan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kalkan, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Kalkan 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 $880 in Kalkan to $1,835 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 Kalkan. 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.