Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kelachay

For one person, living is cheaper in Kelachay: $551 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Kelachay
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Kelachay Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kelachay

🇮🇷 Iran

$551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kelachay

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

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $551 in Kelachay, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Kelachay $551

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $840 in Kelachay, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Kelachay $840

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,128 in Kelachay, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Kelachay $1,128

Nosara costs about 234% more than Kelachay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Kelachay is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.95 $2.95

318.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$14.55 $14.55

320.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$4.10 $4.10

83.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 $0.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.04 $1.04

324.04%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.48 $0.48

262.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.87 $0.87

50.57%

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

$0.64 $0.64

143.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.52 $0.52

480.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.09 $2.09

20.10%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.23 $1.23

190.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.51 $4.51

64.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$3.40 $3.40

209.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$10.44 $10.44

33.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$1.06 $1.06

121.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.55 $1.55

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$0.85 $0.85

464.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$0.57 $0.57

182.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$0.58 $0.58

555.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$0.50 $0.50

638.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.52 $0.52

117.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.24 $0.24

1008.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.81 $0.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 $1.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.57 $2.57

101.56%

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

$0.14 $0.14

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$10.30 $10.30

605.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.42 $0.42

409.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$0.27 $0.27

481.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$2.69 $2.69

216.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.09 $0.09

1588.89%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$54.6K $54.6K

-60.43%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$48.0K $48.0K

-28.14%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$14.25 $14.25

575.72%

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$1.64 $1.64

2088.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$4.24 $4.24

1163.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$18.91 $18.91

278.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

$13.13 $13.13

165.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$1.93 $1.93

308.81%

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$97.0 $97.0

409.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$2,158 $2,158

449.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$23.15 $23.15

133.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$28.72 $28.72

92.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$91.3 $91.3

-14.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$76.7 $76.7

3.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$248 $248

217.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$228 $228

249.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$838 $838

369.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$340 $340

317.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,162 $1,162

495.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$616 $616

98.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

24.3

-64.53%

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

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kelachay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kelachay

$228 41.3% 71.4% $567

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kelachay

$115 20.9% 67.3% $237

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kelachay

$54 9.8% 74.6% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kelachay

$20 3.7% 89.2% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kelachay

$99 18% 17.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kelachay

$23 4.1% 73.9% $65

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kelachay

$13 2.3% 85.5% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $248 in Kelachay. 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 $15.00 in Kelachay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $115 – making Kelachay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇮🇷 Kelachay

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

03:05 3:05 AM

9 h 30 min ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

12,379

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Kelachay 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kelachay

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 Kelachay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nosara is pricier by about 234%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $827 in Kelachay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 605% less in Kelachay. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $97.0 in Kelachay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kelachay, where all-in costs run around $551, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Kelachay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kelachay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kelachay. 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.