Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Kisii

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisii: $304 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Kisii

🇰🇪 Kenya

$304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Kisii

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,839 in Nosara versus $304 in Kisii.

Nosara $1,839
Kisii $304

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Nosara versus $442 in Kisii.

Nosara $2,828
Kisii $442

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,818 in Nosara versus $580 in Kisii.

Nosara $3,818
Kisii $580

Living in Nosara is roughly 505% more expensive than in Kisii, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nosara is 36% above, Kisii is 77% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$2.76 KES 357

347.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.40 KES 182

215.00%

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

$1.74 ₡780

$0.81 KES 105

114.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.22 KES 28.51

495.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.83 KES 238

79.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.26 KES 293

97.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$0.86 KES 112

81.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$0.51 KES 66.2

492.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$2.26 KES 294

11.06%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$1.86 KES 241

91.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$4.48 KES 581

211.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.89 KES 246

53.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.41 KES 52.8

173.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$15.51 KES 2,011

368.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$0.80 KES 104

167.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$1.53 KES 198

-0.65%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$11.4K KES 1.5M

203.74%

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

$96.3 ₡43.2K

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

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$16.09 KES 2,086

123.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$48.10 KES 6,236

11.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

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

$494 ₡221.6K

$38.12 KES 4,942

1196.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$11.66 KES 1,512

362.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$38.59 KES 5,003

101.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$30.38 KES 3,939

162.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$75.6 KES 9,804

950.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$151 KES 19.6K

837.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Kisii: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Kisii

–

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Kisii

–

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Kisii

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Kisii

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Kisii

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Kisii

–

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Kisii

–

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇰🇪 Kisii

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

02:20 2:20 AM

9 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

200,000

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nosara Kisii 13,350 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Kisii

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 Kisii: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kisii wins on cost – living expenses run 505% lower than in Nosara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kisii the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,758 in Nosara and $456 in Kisii to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 563% higher in Nosara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,839 per month in Nosara versus $304 in Kisii – a 505% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $304 in Kisii versus $1,839 in Nosara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kisii but tight or insufficient in Nosara. The gap between the two cities makes Kisii the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kisii delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $304 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kisii hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nosara and Kisii 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 Kisii gentler on the wallet – expenses run 505% less than in Nosara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.